Interesting read about ESPN

[bears1]

Look at this! It's actually shocking if you think about where ESPN has been going with their #1 pemium channel.

Mid-major conferences invisible to ESPN
Very few non-BCS teams get on the big network.
Click-2-Listen
By Kyle Nagel

DAYTON (OHIO) DAILY NEWS


Saturday, January 27, 2007

This afternoon, ESPN2 will show a college basketball tripleheader that is becoming a rarity on the network's top two channels.

The Atlantic 10 Conference (Dayton vs. Xavier), Horizon League (Wisconsin-Green Bay vs. Wisconsin-Milwaukee) and Mid-American Conference (Western Michigan vs. Akron) will all have league games broadcast on the pinnacle of college basketball television during a time when ESPN is cutting back on games featuring non-Bowl Championship Series conference schools.


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That makes such appearances gold for these mid-major leagues struggling to generate national attention.

"Our lifeblood is men's basketball, so we have to pay very close attention to that," said Linda Bruno, the Atlantic 10 Conference commissioner.

ESPN and ESPN2 will broadcast a combined 252 men's college basketball games this season. Of those, just 43 — or 17 percent — will feature two non-BCS conference teams, like the three today on ESPN2.

To get on ESPN's main station is even tougher. There, 122 games will be broadcast this season, and just seven will show two non-BCS teams.

Six of those games, however, will feature either Memphis or Gonzaga.

There are other opportunities, as ESPN will broadcast 796 games this season on its main network and other properties and Internet ventures, including ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN Full Court and ESPN360. But the goal remains to get a spot on one of the two marquee channels, which have become almost nightly displays of college basketball.

College administrators and commissioners agreed that the space on ESPN is shrinking for mid-major programs, so count today as a victory in the A-10, Horizon League and MAC offices, even if they agreed to fewer appearances or less money to get as many games on as possible.


Screened out

ESPN's men's college basketball broadcast schedule this season:

796: Games on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN Full Court and ESPN360

252: Games on ESPN and ESPN2

43: Games on ESPN and ESPN2 between two non-BCS conference schools

7: Games on ESPN between two non-BCS conference schools

1: Game on ESPN between non-BCS conference schools when one isn't Memphis or Gonzaga (Wichita State at Creighton, Feb. 24)


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[okstarsfan]

ESPN's men's college basketball broadcast schedule this season:

796: Games on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN Full Court and ESPN360

252: Games on ESPN and ESPN2

43: Games on ESPN and ESPN2 between two non-BCS conference schools

7: Games on ESPN between two non-BCS conference schools

1: Game on ESPN between non-BCS conference schools when one isn't Memphis or Gonzaga (Wichita State at Creighton, Feb. 24)

At least the one game is a Valley game..... I'm hoping that another notable tournament performance by our conference will get us some more games in the future.

[NoPlaceLikeDome]

I am actually very content with the amount of publicity UNI has gotten on ESPN. We played Bradley and Wichita State on ESPN2 as well as we will play Nevada on the road on it. Three times in one year, I am betting there are many BCS schools that haven't had that.

[blueness]

That last "stat" is news to me...

Because the Wichita State at Creighton game is on ESPN2, not bigbrother..

[Headless Bobcat]

There's really no conspiracy here. It's all about ratings.

[bears1]

Ratings??? Mabey you haven't noticed but the Valley is one of the top conferences in attendence in the country. I can understand that argument if you play in the Colonial or the MAC, etc.... but not the MVC. People in the country have a genuine interest in our conference.

[Maggie]

Ratings??? Mabey you haven't noticed but the Valley is one of the top conferences in attendence in the country. I can understand that argument if you play in the Colonial or the MAC, etc.... but not the MVC. People in the country have a genuine interest in our conference.

Not that big of an interest. The conference is greatly improved but I think you are overstating the national interest in the MVC.

[Brave2001]

Ratings??? Mabey you haven't noticed but the Valley is one of the top conferences in attendence in the country. I can understand that argument if you play in the Colonial or the MAC, etc.... but not the MVC. People in the country have a genuine interest in our conference.

Yes our conference is interesting, but there is no way we get the nod over national programs. I'm sorry, but there are a lot more grads/alumni/students/parents of students/parents of alumini/relative of alumni/etc from schools in the Big Six.

On top of that, most of the programs are THE STATE school (some have more than 1). Illinois, Mich and Mich st, Florida, Oklahoma, Kansas, UNC, etc. Everyone in the state or region watches them.

When I was a kid, I didnt even know who Bradley was until I went looking for a college. But I damn well knew who Illinois was. My parents didn't go to college, but my Dad was an Illini fan because it was THE STATE school. This applies to a vast majority of Big Six Conference Teams.

Of course, you can find exceptions to that rule. Duke is a small university that isnt a state school, but their succes at the National Title level has earned them the exposure.

Then there's the level of talent. Big six conference teams get 5 star recruits, McDonald All Amerians, future NBA hall of famers, etc, etc. A basketball fan (not a fan of a team), but a die hard sports nut, will watch anything at a high level. Ask him if he wants to watch Greg Oden play or Nate Funk. Ill guaruntee which level of athleticism they want to watch. Sports fans want to see the "best" play.

This isnt a knock on the valley or the quality of the teams. It's just the reality. Doesn't mean we can't win games, get in the tournament, or anything like that. It just means we aren't nearly as good as ratings draw for TV.

It's economics. If I'm a network and want to guaruntee a rating...im picking a contest between the big six schools. Why would I risk my money on a game that has a much smaller chance of pulling in the ratings I need.

You guys want to make it a slight against the valley, it's not.

It's not personal, It's business.

[blueblood]

I am willing to bet if Iowa is playing Arizonia State it has far better national ranking than Creighton playing George Mason. Why else would they put them on? Its all about the money. Better ratings more money.

[Bradleyfan]

There's really no conspiracy here. It's all about ratings.

Well, I find it hard to believe that Duke's ratings warrant the 23 or so airings they have had or will have this year. Good lord, we know Duke has a great program, but they are not even that great this year! Puhleeze! :doh:

[DawgieStyle]

Well, I find it hard to believe that Duke's ratings warrant the 23 or so airings they have had or will have this year. Good lord, we know Duke has a great program, but they are not even that great this year! Puhleeze! :doh:

it doesn't matter about Duke's record. Them and a few other select teams, UNC, UCLA, etc. are as close to name brands in college basketball as you are going to get. They are marketable. They have name recognition power, there for you are going to see a ton of games on ESPN and the like with Duke, UNC, UCLA, Kansas, etc. They are a high dollar commodity that guaruntees ratings despite their records or ranking. The best way I can explain it is its guarunteed money for ESPN. Could a alternate match up earn more money and ratings? Sure, but that's a crap shoot. The safe bet is with teams like Duke and UNC. It's strictly a business decision. MONEY.

[MVC Fan]

I am willing to bet if Iowa is playing Arizonia State it has far better national ranking than Creighton playing George Mason.

Depends on when the games are on. Put Iowa-ASU on in the 5 pm nowhere-land Sat. time slot, and give CU-GMU a mid-week prime-time game with some promotion, and the latter gets more viewers. All things equal...both Iowa & ASU are still bad teams that the avg. fan does not care about anymore than the other 2. Plus, at least George Mason has some name recognition for now from the Final 4 appearance that will make them a curiosity, so I think it's a lot closer than some think.

If it was ALL about ratings they wouldn't show games like Penn State-Northwestern either, all they'd show are a few select teams. There are only a cpl teams that actually attract big ratings, either the mega-schools (Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky, etc.), maybe a team making noise in a particular season (Iowa would be an example some yrs, Wisconsin this yr) or else the ones w/a recent history of tradition (Florida, Gonzaga, etc.).

The majority of college hoops games get pretty similar ratings, and more importantly there are a lot of things that can be done to impact ratings-time slot & how much promotion they receive have more to do w/it than anything else. So yeah, I do think it stinks to a point some of their decisions. Most bars are going to have on whatever college basketball game is on ESPN regardless of teams, so why not share the wealth more? Promote some of these other games like they do some insignificant 'Super Tuesday' game between Mississippi & Miss. State, and they'd likely do just as well.

[shocker3]

Depends on when the games are on. Put Iowa-ASU on in the 5 pm nowhere-land Sat. time slot, and give CU-GMU a mid-week prime-time game with some promotion, and the latter gets more viewers. ...

....The majority of college hoops games get pretty similar ratings, and more importantly there are a lot of things that can be done to impact ratings-time slot & how much promotion they receive have more to do w/it than anything else. So yeah, I do think it stinks to a point some of their decisions. Most bars are going to have on whatever college basketball game is on ESPN regardless of teams, so why not share the wealth more? Promote some of these other games like they do some insignificant 'Super Tuesday' game between Mississippi & Miss. State, and they'd likely do just as well.

He is right. If you look at cable TV ratings for college baketball, the time slot seems to be the most important factor.

Unless a MEGA NAME school like Duke is playing (that is why they are on 23 times), the ratings just aren't that much different for a given time slot regardless who is playing in that time slot.

If you put WSU-UNI in prime time it garners pretty much the same rating as a K-State - Iowa St game.

Getting on the primo networks (espn and then espn2) and in the prime time slots is the key to good exposure.

EspnU almost doesn't count. Only 7 million households can get espnU as opposed to 92 million for espn2 and 93 million for espn.

[Dawgbit]

Well gosh, who would want to watch an SIU/Creighton game, when one can watch the big boys, say an Illinois/Minnesota matchup on ESPN?

The Frightened Illini got zero votes in the latest poll!:grin: