I'll bet they don't play new year's eve again ...

[surly]

http://www.cbssports.com/collegefoo...ff-semifinal-ratings-drop-36-on-new-years-eve

Ratings down 36%.

 

[Cyclonetrombone]

I can't believe Oklahoma had such a crappy season that they could even play in a post New Year's game. smile:

 

[Clonehomer]

The games being absolute duds also had a lot to do with it. To me, NYE is perfect since you can get together for the game and roll it right in to a new years celebration.

 

[chuckd4735]

They'll never get the most prestigious game of them all out of the midday new years day window. Until they do, these games will be on new years eve.

 

[CysRage]

I can't believe Oklahoma had such a crappy season that they could even play in a post New Year's game. smile:

#hawkfanlogic

 

[SoapyCy]

They'll never get the most prestigious game of them all out of the midday new years day window. Until they do, these games will be on new years eve.

Isn't the rose one of the playoff bowls in rotation? So it would be new years day at least 1 of every 3 years, right?

 

[Wesley]

The games being absolute duds also had a lot to do with it. To me, NYE is perfect since you can get together for the game and roll it right in to a new years celebration.

Both games could be summarized with Boom Goes the Dynamite.

 

[dirtyninety]

NYE playoff bowls are right up there iwth Legends and Leaders from a marketing perspective. A C-level bowl game at night.....fine, that works. Folks have to have the tv on anyway. But I certainly was not watching the Alabama beat down. who cares at that point.

 

[Hoiball92]

Not surprised. A lot of people aren't home on New Year's Eve

 

[surly]

I did not like the timing. I thought it also minimized the other big bowl games which followed. The playoffs should have been played today, Saturday. A very odd decision by the NCAA/ESPN cabal, that I bet is not repeated in the future. A lot of ad revenue is based on ratings, which means Disney/ESPN likely took a huge hit for their choice.

 

[1100011CS]

Thought I read they already had contracts through 2025.

 

[chuckd4735]

Isn't the rose one of the playoff bowls in rotation? So it would be new years day at least 1 of every 3 years, right?

Yep. I would be shocked if the Rose Bowl plays on New Years Eve.

 

[jay moe]

Agree with an above post, games should have been played today.

 

[HFCS]

Many people in the west coast/mountain zones had normal 9-5 working hours during the first game. That alone is gonna be a significant ratings dip. It's not like NYE is Christmas Day or NY Day where 95% of people are off.

 

[Mr Janny]

I did not like the timing. I thought it also minimized the other big bowl games which followed. The playoffs should have been played today, Saturday. A very odd decision by the NCAA/ESPN cabal, that I bet is not repeated in the future. A lot of ad revenue is based on ratings, which means Disney/ESPN likely took a huge hit for their choice.

It's not ESPN or even the NCAA's decision, I don't think. The College Football Playoff exists as its own entity. As I understand it, ESPN offered up today as an alternate to the NYE games and the CFP declined. In the contract they have with ESPN, it's the CFP's call.

 

[heitclone]

There are more things working against the playoff than the date they played. Numbers would be down regardless of when they played, thanks to the games being exclusively on ESPN. The NYE angle is the scapegoat. ESPN has way too much control over the CFP, that's what needs to change first and foremost.

 

[ojoe2317]

There are more things working against the playoff than the date they played. Numbers would be down regardless of when they played, thanks to the games being exclusively on ESPN. The NYE angle is the scapegoat. ESPN has way too much control over the CFP, that's what needs to change first and foremost.

I think this is probably accurate. IIRC, the ratings of all the major bowl games have declined since they started putting them on ESPN only. It doesn't help that ESPN subscriptions are actually declining in a real way as well.

 

[HFCS]

There are more things working against the playoff than the date they played. Numbers would be down regardless of when they played, thanks to the games being exclusively on ESPN. The NYE angle is the scapegoat. ESPN has way too much control over the CFP, that's what needs to change first and foremost.

I get why ESPN is trying to put big games on cable instead of ABC, but it is just weird that these 2 games and then then the Rose Bowl the next day are all on cable.

 

[ISUAlum2002]

It's not ESPN or even the NCAA's decision, I don't think. The College Football Playoff exists as its own entity. As I understand it, ESPN offered up today as an alternate to the NYE games and the CFP declined. In the contract they have with ESPN, it's the CFP's call.

This. Murph & Andy had a guy from ESPN on their show a few weeks ago (not Hassel) who said ESPN big wigs were shocked the CFP folks wanted to play the games on NYE and desperately tried to get them to move the games to today. They knew they would take a huge ratings hit playing them on NYE, but the CFP brass didn't waver.

 

[Judoka]

There are more things working against the playoff than the date they played. Numbers would be down regardless of when they played, thanks to the games being exclusively on ESPN. The NYE angle is the scapegoat. ESPN has way too much control over the CFP, that's what needs to change first and foremost.

Given that they were on ESPN last year I doubt them being on ESPN this year was a factor.