2024 College Football TV Ratings

[Tharvot]

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TNT games suffered big time going up against the NFL games.

I think the Rose Bowl between OSU and Oregon could top 20 million. UGA/ND I think gets around 17 million.

Even the SMU - PSU game was a major increase from the Braum's Hamburger Bowl or whatever would have normally been airing from CFB land.

 

[michaeljordan_fan]

Even the SMU - PSU game was a major increase from the Braum's Hamburger Bowl or whatever would have normally been airing from CFB land.

The question isn't if it was better ratings than XYZ Bowl.

The question is whether the moderate increase in ratings was worth the amount shelled out by ESPN.

 

[ericd7633]

The question isn't if it was better ratings than XYZ Bowl.

The question is whether the moderate increase in ratings was worth the amount shelled out by ESPN.

The Citrus Bowl last year topped SMU/PSU. Not a great ROI thus far.

 

[ralphiewvu]

View attachment 129772

TNT games suffered big time going up against the NFL games.

I think the Rose Bowl between OSU and Oregon could top 20 million. UGA/ND I think gets around 17 million.

What would have been on TNT instead of a playoff games they had, some third rate flick from the early 2000's that would have been likely on at least one more time that day? Yeah in comparison to the other games that sucked. But to get some of the good matchups networks like TNT will have to endure some shitty games to get there. I still think this is better than what likely would have been on TNT instead.

 

[michaeljordan_fan]

What would have been on TNT instead of a playoff games they had, some third rate flick from the early 2000's that would have been likely on at least one more time that day? Yeah in comparison to the other games that sucked. But to get some of the good matchups networks like TNT will have to endure some shitty games to get there. I still think this is better than what likely would have been on TNT instead.

TNT is only the sublicense. The primary license holder (and the one paying for the CFP) is Disney.

 

[ralphiewvu]

TNT is only the sublicense. The primary license holder (and the one paying for the CFP) is Disney.

What did TNT pay ESPN to broadcast this game? And what would have been on ESPN in that timeslot? Yeah compared to the other games it sucked, but I'd have to imagine it still got more viewers then whatever ether would have had if there was no 12 team playoff.

 

[michaeljordan_fan]

What did TNT pay ESPN to broadcast this game? And what would have been on ESPN in that timeslot? Yeah compared to the other games it sucked, but I'd have to imagine it still got more viewers then whatever ether would have had if there was no 12 team playoff.

Details of the TNT sublicense are unknown. We do know how much ESPN/Disney paid.

Overpaying to "get more viewers than whatever either would have had" is not great for business. On TNT's side, they have additional business relationships with ESPN/Disney that may make doing this deal worthwhile, even if they take a short-term hit.

 

[ralphiewvu]

Details of the TNT sublicense are unknown. We do know how much ESPN/Disney paid.

Overpaying to "get more viewers than whatever either would have had" is not great for business. On TNT's side, they have additional business relationships with ESPN/Disney that may make doing this deal worthwhile, even if they take a short-term hit.

Again the likely alternative wouldn’t have touched this number. (See going against the NFL) And they were always going to overpay to get this. A noon game Saturday before Christmas. Were people really expecting double digit numbers???

 

[michaeljordan_fan]

Were people really expecting double digit numbers???

ESPN was.

At the very least, it should cool playoff expansion talk.

 

[ralphiewvu]

ESPN was.

At the very least, it should cool playoff expansion talk.

They hit that in 50% of the games. Everyone of that hit being on their network.

One year of lousy numbers isn’t going to cool expansion talk if other networks want in. The demand is still there. This thing is going 14 minimum in 2026.

 

[ericd7633]

What would have been on TNT instead of a playoff games they had, some third rate flick from the early 2000's that would have been likely on at least one more time that day? Yeah in comparison to the other games that sucked. But to get some of the good matchups networks like TNT will have to endure some shitty games to get there. I still think this is better than what likely would have been on TNT instead.

I'm going to guess, and this is just an estimate, that WBD/TNT paid about $2 billion to sublicense these games. Yeah, for sure, this will be much more viewed than whatever other programming would have been on TNT, but that other program wouldn't have cost approximately $125 million to broadcast. For comparison sake, ESPN is paying the SEC $300 million for EVERY SEC game. The SEC on ABC had many weeks outperform this. Either way, this definitely hurts from a revenue perspective for 2025 when they'll be dealing with the same thing (going up against NFL).

 

[ericd7633]

What did TNT pay ESPN to broadcast this game? And what would have been on ESPN in that timeslot? Yeah compared to the other games it sucked, but I'd have to imagine it still got more viewers then whatever ether would have had if there was no 12 team playoff.

Last year at this time slot and day, ESPN/ABC had 2.7 million viewers in the Noon slot and 3.04 million viewers in the 3:30 time slot. Those were the combined numbers for the Celebration Bowl and Myrtle Beach Bowl (12:00) and the Myrtle Beach Bowl and Cure Bowl (3:30). To air those 4 games, ESPN spent roughly $5 million.

So you're spending roughly $5 million to get 5.75 million viewers, and TNT spent let's just say it was $200 million for 15 million viewers. So sure, TNT got triple the numbers from what would have aired on ESPN/ABC, but they paid 40x more.

 

[ralphiewvu]

Last year at this time slot and day, ESPN/ABC had 2.7 million viewers in the Noon slot and 3.04 million viewers in the 3:30 time slot. Those were the combined numbers for the Celebration Bowl and Myrtle Beach Bowl (12:00) and the Myrtle Beach Bowl and Cure Bowl (3:30). To air those 4 games, ESPN spent roughly $5 million.

So you're spending roughly $5 million to get 5.75 million viewers, and TNT spent let's just say it was $200 million for 15 million viewers. So sure, TNT got triple the numbers from what would have aired on ESPN/ABC, but they paid 40x more.

This wasn’t going to be a cheap endeavor ether way. There is still more games to go, all of which will be on ESPN. I still don’t see ESPN dropping the CFP after the current contract or even backtracking.

 

[michaeljordan_fan]

Last year at this time slot and day, ESPN/ABC had 2.7 million viewers in the Noon slot and 3.04 million viewers in the 3:30 time slot. Those were the combined numbers for the Celebration Bowl and Myrtle Beach Bowl (12:00) and the Myrtle Beach Bowl and Cure Bowl (3:30). To air those 4 games, ESPN spent roughly $5 million.

So you're spending roughly $5 million to get 5.75 million viewers, and TNT spent let's just say it was $200 million for 15 million viewers. So sure, TNT got triple the numbers from what would have aired on ESPN/ABC, but they paid 40x more.

Youve got way too many facts for Simple Jack to handle

 

[ralphiewvu]

Youve got way too many facts for Simple Jack to handle

It’s always predictable, you adding nothing but pure douchebagery Oscar because you need the attention.

Shame you couldn’t have said any of these “facts.”

 

[ericd7633]

This wasn’t going to be a cheap endeavor ether way. There is still more games to go, all of which will be on ESPN. I still don’t see ESPN dropping the CFP after the current contract or even backtracking.

Yeah, sure there will be more games, but it looks like TNT massively overpaid to broadcast these first round games. They'll run into the same problem next year. $400 million is a big number for approximately 30-35 million viewers to hopefully put up good numbers in the QF's when it gets around to it.

 

[ralphiewvu]

Yeah, sure there will be more games, but it looks like TNT massively overpaid to broadcast these first round games. They'll run into the same problem next year. $400 million is a big number for approximately 30-35 million viewers to hopefully put up good numbers in the QF's when it gets around to it.

Again to be apart of this, networks will have to suffer through some ratings to continue. Do you really believe this thing won't expand next go around???

 

[ericd7633]

Again to be apart of this, networks will have to suffer through some ratings to continue. Do you really believe this thing won't expand next go around???

So you would agree TNT overpaid compared to what the ratings were? That's all I'm saying.

I believe the conference commissioners will want expansion, but I highly doubt ESPN will. There's a reason they sublicensed a bunch of games to TNT (who had the resources since they lost the NBA)

 

[ralphiewvu]

So you would agree TNT overpaid compared to what the ratings were? That's all I'm saying.

I believe the conference commissioners will want expansion, but I highly doubt ESPN will. There's a reason they sublicensed a bunch of games to TNT (who had the resources since they lost the NBA)

Sure TNT overpaid, but it could be worth it to them in the long run of keeping a playoff game or two.

ESPN isn't going to look at two games and put the kabosh to expansion. You yourself a page ago said you think the rose bowl could get over 20 million views. That's significant. ESPN will probably want more matchups with the P2 (via autobids) but this thing is only 11 games right now. I see it expanding.

 

[ericd7633]

Sure TNT overpaid, but it could be worth it to them in the long run of keeping a playoff game or two.

ESPN isn't going to look at two games and put the kabosh to expansion. You yourself a page ago said you think the rose bowl could get over 20 million views. That's significant. ESPN will probably want more matchups with the P2 (via autobids) but this thing is only 11 games right now. I see it expanding.

If there is expansion ESPN will have to pony up more money. I don't think it's something they want to do (but may ultimately have too). Everything they've done in the past 6 months suggests they don't want to pay extra. They didn't want to pay for an extra SEC conference game, and they sublicensed to TNT to recoup some of the cost.