Rose Bowl Ratings Go Through Roof

[Joseph_Gallant]

In what has to be the highest-rated college football telecast in quite a few years, ABC's telecast of last night's (January 4th) Rose Bowl game between Texas and Southern California (this is a link to a Zap 2 it.com article) dominated the night's ratings and drew as many viewers as all the other broadcast networks combined. It is my understanding that the ratings for last night's Rose Bowl (which served as this year's national championship game in Division 1-A college football) were significantly higher than they were for last year's national title game (which was the Orange Bowl).

There are several reasons why the ratings were so high:

(1) USC was looking to be the first Division 1-A college football team to ever win three consecutive national championbships (although they fell short thanks to a late rally by Texas).

(2) USC is located in Los Angeles, the number-two television market, a market that at the moment does not have a pro football team. I suspect the local ratings in Los Angeles were enormous.

(3) It turned out to be a dramatic game, perhaps one of the greatest college football games in recent history (unless you are a USC student, alumni, or live in the Los Angeles area), which kept viewers tuned-in.

(4) The Rose Bowl was one of only two first-run prime-time programs on broadcast network television last night: The other was a two-hour episode of "The Biggest Loser" on NBC, whose first hour finished a distant second to the game. Everything else was reruns.

I suspect that after last night's ratings performance, rival networks will give up programming first-run fare head-to-head against future BCS national championship games.

 

[ixnay]

I forgot to tune in.

Sorry. I don't live or die with college football so I forgot to tune in even out of curiosity.

ixnay

 

[russhaney]

Re: I forgot to tune in.

> Sorry. I don't live or die with college football so I
> forgot to tune in even out of curiosity.
>
> ixnay
>

i tuned in and it was awesome... the fsu/psu the night before was also great... 2 awesome nights of football back2back!

 

[Joe_Capitano]

Re: I forgot to tune in.

Now if they can find a way to clip these games back to a more manageable length - say THREE HOURS!!!

Games shouldn't extend past 11 PM before overtime. They just shouldn't. FInd a way, please!

(No, I'm not holding my breath.)

 

[schmave]

Re: I forgot to tune in.

> Now if they can find a way to clip these games back to a
> more manageable length - say THREE HOURS!!!
>
> Games shouldn't extend past 11 PM before overtime. They just
> shouldn't. FInd a way, please!
>
> (No, I'm not holding my breath.)

That would be awfully nice. My suggestions:
- When you start a broadcast at 8 (I'm in Ohio), start the game at about 8:05!! ESPN had a pre-game show, and since it's co-owned with ABC there's no reason the game can't kick off shortly thereafter with no huge pre-game.
- Shorten the halftime to 15 minutes, sted 22.
- STOP STOPPING THE CLOCK AFTER EVERY FIRST DOWN!!! (This is a huge pet peeve of mine at the high school and college levels.)
- That's basically it. The commercial breaks didn't seem nearly as long last night as in other big games.

 

[fatbastard]

> There are several reasons why the ratings were so high:
>
> (1) USC was looking to be the first Division 1-A college
> football team to ever win three consecutive national
> championbships (although they fell short thanks to a late
> rally by Texas).
>
> (2) USC is located in Los Angeles, the number-two television
> market, a market that at the moment does not have a pro
> football team. I suspect the local ratings in Los Angeles
> were enormous.
>
Not as enormous as they were in Austin, TX where they approached an
80 share. LA had a 50 share.

> (3) It turned out to be a dramatic game, perhaps one of the
> greatest college football games in recent history (unless
> you are a USC student, alumni, or live in the Los Angeles
> area), which kept viewers tuned-in.

Just because one lives in LA doesn't mean they're a USC fan or
a football fan.
>
> (4) The Rose Bowl was one of only two first-run prime-time
> programs on broadcast network television last night: The
> other was a two-hour episode of "The Biggest Loser" on NBC,
> whose first hour finished a distant second to the game.
> Everything else was reruns.
>

The main and only reason the ratings were so high was because that
was the matchup every sports/football fan around the country
wanted/waited to see all season and the anticipation translated
into huge viewing levels.

 

[ixnay]

> Just because one lives in LA doesn't mean they're a USC fan


Especially if one lives in Westwood.

ixnay

 

[DrBear]

Re: I forgot to tune in.

> - Shorten the halftime to 15 minutes, sted 22.
That was the problem this week. Most bowls feel they have to come in with a huge halftime show, the Rose Queen, guest stars and the lot. I was just happy to see ABC give some time to the USC and Texas bands.

 

[Joseph_Gallant]

Re: I Tuned-In.

I was actually surprised that the Rose Bowl kicked-off at about 8:25 P.M. EST. I fully expected a much longer pregame show, with the game itself not starting until about 8:50 P.M. EST.

Maybe next year's BCS championship bowl should kick-off at 8:10 P.M. EST with a network pregame show starting at 7:30 P.M. EST.

 

[ViewStu]

Re: I forgot to tune in.

> > - Shorten the halftime to 15 minutes, sted 22.
> That was the problem this week. Most bowls feel they have to
> come in with a huge halftime show, the Rose Queen, guest
> stars and the lot. I was just happy to see ABC give some
> time to the USC and Texas bands.
>

Halftimes for all NCAA Division I games are longer now...something like 25 minutes, counting the final commercial break before kickoff.
It was bad enough at bowl games(I always hated the Orange Bowl halftime shows, which seemed to last an hour!), and it's even worse with more time for studio 'talking heads'(Though Aaron Taylor, Craig James and John Saunders of ABC are entertaining).
But when halftime lasts about a quarter of a game (including commercial breaks), that's ridiculous.
(So is the clock stopping after every first down, as well as the overtime rule, and, sometimes, the 'one foot in bounds' rule...but they'll probably never change to conform with the NFL...and that's a debate for other message boards anyway!;-) )