Very curious to see what CFB games make it to ABC this season
I had my suspicion when Disney bought out the network TV rights from CBS for SEC football that ABC would become nothing more than a showcase for the SEC leaving their other properties begging for network time. As recent events have shown, even though cable is dying, network TV is alive and well with Fox forcing the hand of the B1G to bring in LA schools to fortify their Fox-owned affiliate in SoCal and CBS buying in to the B1G as well.
So let's take a look at week 1 on ABC to see what's on:
8/31:
12:00 - Clemson vs. Georgia at Atlanta (SEC home game rights on a "neutral" field (I lived in the ATL for almost 20 years and there is nothing neutral about a Georgia game in Atlanta, ask Georgia Tech.
3:30 - Miami (da U is back baybeeee) vs. Florida from Gainesville - SEC home game
7:30 - Notre Dame at Texas A&M - SEC home game featuring Fowler/Herbstreit
9/1:
Game from Las Vegas - So Cal vs LSU (LSU listed as home team ) - Another SEC home game
So - every game on ABC is an SEC home game on the first weekend of the season. Congrats ACC and Big XII - you are now relegated from network TV. Let's see how this trend continues through the season but I have a feeling that ABC will become a bigger version of the SEC Network.
** Edited by CobbCountyHokie at 8/22/2024, 2:20:09 PM
22 Replies
1y
Wk 2
Noon - Arkansas at Ok St
330 - SCar at Kentucky
730 - NC St vs Tenn
Wk3
Noon - LSU at SCar
330 - A&M at Fla
730 - Georgia at Kentucky
Scar and Kentucky, bottom quartile SEC teams, both play on ABC twice in the first 3 weeks.
ESPN prime time the first 3 weeks is Bama or Texas vs small teams. Hopefully that slot could be high profile ACC games but it looks like ESPN mid day is likely our best hope for good exposure.
(In response to this post by CobbCountyHokie)
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WarHog38
1y
Usually scheduled to began soon after the expected end of the Big 12 game on FOX. That meant a Saturday late afternoon start. CBS would also always air the Arkansas/LSU game which was always the Friday after Thanksgiving. Then also broadcast the Iron Bowl game the next day on Saturday between Alabama/Auburn. CBS continued the show that Friday after Thanksgiving game with Arkansas even after the SEC changed Arkansas' opponent to Missouri. CBS was contracted to get their 1st choice over ESPN of all the SEC games available on any given Saturday.
That first weekend start of SEC Games you showed that ABC plans to broadcast appears a lot more far ranging in SEC Games than any weekend that CBS ever had. Probably a direct result of both ESPN & ABC being owned by Disney. ABC has an it is absolutely alright option to broadcast as many SEC games as wanted.. The ACC & Big-12 should be concerned about air time on ABC.
(In response to this post by CobbCountyHokie)
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Stech
1y
15 years ago! Now they are trashing ACC 🏀, even though some how, it has stayed at the top of the Sweet 16. You nailed it, but some still have their head in the sand after a decade and a half. Death by a thousand cuts, will eventually get after you. I hate saying this, but let’s end this stupid charade!!! We all know where it is going,
(In response to this post by CobbCountyHokie)
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HouClone
1y
Where he has teams like Mississippi State and Indiana more viewers than good ACC/Big 12 teams like Virginia Tech and Oklahoma State. He wouldn't differentiate that Miss State and Indiana were playing Georgia, Alabama, Texas, Michigan, Ohio State, or Washington routinely on ABC/CBS on good network slots.
(In response to this post by CobbCountyHokie)
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WBGV
1y
He tries to create correlations where they don’t exist. His track record on conference realignment is dismal. He once created a chart that showed that Syracuse had the largest fan base in the ACC which most reasonable people would question. He had Syracuse’s fan base as the 14th largest in the country and his methodology involved google search counts and Nate Silver’s data ( prognosticator who predicted Hillary Clinton’s victory by a significant margin ).
(In response to this post by HouClone)
1y
So far I have 9 full years (2015-2023) of data for weeks 1-4. Matchups, spreads, totals, scores, tv channel, and tv ratings (from the source Altimore references on his charts). I just need to keep plugging away at it.
(In response to this post by HouClone)
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HouClone
1y
the influence of the networks that don't publish ratings (SECN, ACCN, PACN, ESPN+), that would be a great comparison. Example, Wake Forest 2-3 years ago was in above average to high level for ACC desirables in Altimore's rankings due to their good football viewership. They played 3 teams on rated networks (Clemson, Florida State, and think Louisville) on good time slots. The rest were relegated to the ACCN.
(In response to this post by HokieAl)
1y
(In response to this post by HouClone)
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HouClone
1y
an extrapolation to the others.
(In response to this post by HokieAl)
1y
It’s ridiculous that it isn’t - and it skews the data in a negative way for ACC teams. And others choose to just ignore that ACCN ratings are not included.
(In response to this post by CobbCountyHokie)
1y
I get it that you want to rant, but that's just not accurate. It's a pure neutral site game. The "home team" is just for scoreboard purposes and which sideline to put them on.
And in a similar sense, UGA in Atlanta is a neutral site (and Clemson will have a lot of fans there). That ATL matchup with the SEC vs ACC in week 1 has been happening for years. It's not some new Disney plan to give the SEC a bunch of home games. You listed two neutral site games and two big matchup SEC home games. And it's very possible that the SEC could lose all four (my actual guess is they go 2-2).
(In response to this post by CobbCountyHokie)
1y
I do understand that Vegas and MBS in Atlanta are neutral site games, this is not my first college football rodeo.
Here is what is important, as they are ALL listed as SEC home games, it means ABC gets to call it "The SEC on ABC". You will see that branding everywhere. It does not matter that the game is the Chick-Fil-A game or some game in Vegas designed to separate football fans from their cash in the casinos.
From the SEC website:
Q: What is the biggest benefit fans will see from this new agreement?
A: Maximized exposure for the most anticipated matchups and an enhanced scheduling arrangement, which includes more game windows locked in prior to the start of the season. In mid-June of each year, start windows (either noon-1 p.m., 3:30-4:30 p.m., 3:30-8 p.m. or 6-8 p.m.) will be announced for all conference-controlled football matchups for the upcoming season, which means fans can plan travel for their fall Saturdays in advance.
Q: How many times will the SEC appear on ABC Saturday Night Football?
A: No specific number each year. We are thrilled to add SEC games to ABC Saturday Night Football and expect SEC games to be a meaningful part of the franchise throughout the season.
(In response to this post by HokieAl)
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dayooper
1y
It’s what gives ESPN/ABC the game. If USC was the home team, the game would be on Fox/CBS/NBC.
FYI - I think Cobb County is correct. ESPN isn’t paying the SEC that much money to put them on cable. The big games are always on other broadcast channels. They will promote the hell out of the SEC because they are paying a ton to do so. The SEC spin will be thick.
(In response to this post by HokieAl)
1y
It's been at least a decade of SEC bias with the talk shows and the schedules and the exposure. ABC (and CBS and FOX) is always going to be reserved for the big brands first, especially the ones having a good year. Just look at Ole' Miss last year. They were 10-2 regular season and only made it on CBS once.
Yes there is SEC bias, but even more than that is big brand bias. The national channels show the big brand schools over and over and over again.
(In response to this post by dayooper)
1y
(In response to this post by CobbCountyHokie)
1y
against an undefeated Virginia Tech at Lane Stadium. On which network will the game be played?
ABC? Likely no...here's why:
Georgia plays Ole Miss
Alabama plays LSU
Oklahoma plays Missouri
Miss St. plays Tennessee
Florida plays Texas - Already scheduled in the Noon window
That game with serious playoff ramifications may be lucky to get on ESPN2. It may be the primetime game on ACC Network.
I did forget that uva plays Pitt that day. I am sure that will get a ton of TV run.
(In response to this post by Pylons)
1y
And I didn't say there was no SEC bias. Your hypothetical could very well end up demonstrating bias. Or not.
I just implied that maybe the described weekend isn't good evidence for it. The lack of an answer pretty well confirms that.
(In response to this post by CobbCountyHokie)
Yep. And this early in the season before we have playoff implications,
what I see are BRANDS.
(In response to this post by CobbCountyHokie)
1y
You may see some SEC at ACC home games, but I'll be surprised if any ACC game that doesn't also feature an SEC opponent ever makes it on ABC going forward (ACC championship game notwithstanding, of course.)
They only have 3 time slots available on ABC every Saturday; they're not going to play some ACC snooze fest that nobody will watch like Boston College at SMU, even if it's a noon kick, and they're not going to play Clemson or FSU games when they could put Texas, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Florida, Alabama, Auburn, TAMU, Georgia, or whatever other SEC team on instead.
Disney didn't lure Texas and Oklahoma away from the Big 12, then agree to pay the SEC basically double on their new contract, just to turn around and schedule ACC games in their OTA broadcast slots.
(In response to this post by CobbCountyHokie)
1y
use that inventory. Just another example of violating antitrust law intention.
(In response to this post by Baltimore_Hokie)