All I heard two years ago was how, if the game was a white out at night, we would have beaten Ohio State.
PSU/tOSU at noon on FOX
- Thread starter doctornick
- Start date
No one is saying the game needs to be played at night to win…they’re saying they prefer to have the game at night…you know, like most normal people.
Well it’s more than pure rating’s numbers of a single game. It’s about bragging rights all week. Creating the illusion of THE network for the next games. Using that opening game to advertise and do tie-ins to later games.
It’s the entire package, not just a game.
FOX's noon games have been the highest timeslot for college football in recent years.
People can have preferences for whatever they want, but the implication that "people don't watch" at noon is downright silly. In fact, it's Saturday nights that suffer the most because people actually... go out and don't watch TV (to the same degree).
CBS, FOX, top regular season college football viewership
CBS was the most-watched college football network, while FOX "Big Noon Saturday" was the most-watched window, during the 2023 season.
www.sportsmediawatch.com
This is interesting and the person who thought up the whole Fox Big Noon platform should get a huge promotion. What an opportunity they found. Sucks for us and no night WO vs OSU but business is business.FOX's noon games have been the highest timeslot for college football in recent years.
People can have preferences for whatever they want, but the implication that "people don't watch" at noon is downright silly. In fact, it's Saturday nights that suffer the most because people actually... go out and don't watch TV (to the same degree).
CBS, FOX, top regular season college football viewership
CBS was the most-watched college football network, while FOX "Big Noon Saturday" was the most-watched window, during the 2023 season.
If we are still undefeated, the fans will show up, will be loud and the players on both teams will be motivated. Plus, we won’t have to wait all day for the game.
That only has meaning if you could take those noon games and put them on at night to see what the draw would have been…which you can’t do.FOX's noon games have been the highest timeslot for college football in recent years.
People can have preferences for whatever they want, but the implication that "people don't watch" at noon is downright silly. In fact, it's Saturday nights that suffer the most because people actually... go out and don't watch TV (to the same degree).
CBS, FOX, top regular season college football viewership
CBS was the most-watched college football network, while FOX "Big Noon Saturday" was the most-watched window, during the 2023 season.
Well, since ESPN has overall a better selection of games (controlling all the SEC games plus ACC and most of the Big 12) and typically puts their top games at night or at 3:30, we have plenty of opportunities to evaluate how games do in each timeslot.
But more importantly, the point that "people don't want to watch games at noon" is just poppycock. Ratings wouldn't be what they are for Fox Noon games if the timeslot was a big discouragement.
This argument doesn't even make sense because you can't prove your version is true.
Ratings will always be higher for day games on Saturday...thats when they're also most likely to younger fans who go out on Saturday nights.
Well $500+/night for 2 night minimum hotel rooms doesn't help, and there are only so many of them anyway. So in order to enter the stadium one hour before kickoff (Gate B was horrible for UCLA), that means leaving the house no later than 8:00am for anyone with a 2 hour drive (IF traffic flows normally), and not getting home before 7:00pm-8:00pm. And God bless anyone who lives 3-5 hours away!
Later start times help with the flow of traffic and stadium entry.
This logic seems odd to me. A night time game that ends at 11 PM is a far worse traffic issue for fans than a noon game. The parking lots are, well, parking lots with no movement of the cars for a long time after the game ends. And you are then talking about driving back home into the wee hours of the night.
If I were going up on game day, I'd like 3:30 the most but would absolutely prefer a 12:00 PM game to one at 7:30 PM.
I drove up and back same day for the Bowling Green game this year (I live ~3 hours away) and had no problems.
Yeah, very few people want to drive 2+ plus home at 11pm or midnight--most would rather get up and drive early to get there
There's no right or wrong on preference but the biggest Big Ten games are usually going to be at noon. It's best for both networks as the SEC has the prime time spot and they're best aren't H2H
Oregon-Ohio State was prime time though so maybe we'll have some late night road starts
I don't think it matters near as much when it comes to the marquee games (ie PSU vs OSU is going to draw huge ratings regardless of time slot if we both enter the game undefeated / 1 loss) compared to the lesser games that get the benefit of the travel crew at your stadium and a 2 hour preview show that highlights the teams.
"
1. Ohio State at Oregon
Channel: NBC
Date/Time: Saturday, Oct. 12 at 7:30 p.m. ET
Viewers: 10.4 million
Oregon’s 32-31 win over Ohio State in the top-three matchup drew the largest primetime audience for a regular season Big Ten conference game since 2008. The game averaged 10.2 million viewers across NBC, Peacock and NBC Sports Digital. NBC Sports’ audience peaked at 13.4 million viewers in the game’s final minutes. Ohio State-Oregon is the most-watched primetime regular-season matchup between Big Ten teams since Oct. 25, 2008 (Penn State-Ohio State, 10.4 million viewers on ABC)."
www.on3.com
I know that CBS drew better ratings with the SECs #1 game at 330 than they have with the typical 2nd or 3rd pick Big 10 games in the same slot.
Overall, the brands involved, the stakes, they matter a lot more than a specific time slow (if noon was the best slow, you better believe that ABC would be sticking their best game in it weekly too). However, when it comes to pumping up a week with no marquee games, Fox is doing well in the noon slot.
"
1. Ohio State at Oregon
Channel: NBC
Date/Time: Saturday, Oct. 12 at 7:30 p.m. ET
Viewers: 10.4 million
Oregon’s 32-31 win over Ohio State in the top-three matchup drew the largest primetime audience for a regular season Big Ten conference game since 2008. The game averaged 10.2 million viewers across NBC, Peacock and NBC Sports Digital. NBC Sports’ audience peaked at 13.4 million viewers in the game’s final minutes. Ohio State-Oregon is the most-watched primetime regular-season matchup between Big Ten teams since Oct. 25, 2008 (Penn State-Ohio State, 10.4 million viewers on ABC)."
College Football TV Ratings: Top 8 most-watched games of Week 7
Oregon-Ohio State now ranks second to Georgia-Alabama in TV ratings through the first seven weeks of the college football season.
I know that CBS drew better ratings with the SECs #1 game at 330 than they have with the typical 2nd or 3rd pick Big 10 games in the same slot.
Overall, the brands involved, the stakes, they matter a lot more than a specific time slow (if noon was the best slow, you better believe that ABC would be sticking their best game in it weekly too). However, when it comes to pumping up a week with no marquee games, Fox is doing well in the noon slot.
I did not say it was. I simply said the networks will dictate the times based on what is the best (most profitable) time slot for each game.
I think everyone knows why it is at noon $$$ but as fans we would prefer (most I bet) it to be at night. Maybe a slight advantage and yes the record isn’t great but how many of those games were we even favored in? There is also the boost in National exposure when it’s viewed around the country and potential recruits see the atmosphere. Mostly our fans want it that way and there is nothing wrong with that - hell I was at the Nebraska game back in the 80’s when the trucked lights in - one of the most fun games ever - helps we won of course.
I never said people won’t watch a noon game….i think most people would rather watch a night game.
Per ESPN historical ratings of CFB games played before 7:30PM were 15% below those played after 7:30PM so stick that in tour pipe and smoke it clown!
So you're ignoring last year and this year because...
The game is what matters not the time it's played.
WTF - you said a hell of a lot of people won’t stay up to watch it and I stated the facts say you are wrong end of story.
That's not what you did...you're ignored the entire point that current noon starts are the highest rated because all that ever mattered was who is playing. Its why the Big Ten and SEC have all the power now.
There's no difference in 2024 based on start time. The earlier the better more often than not this year. The past is irrelevant as we don't live in it.
Congrats you have once again won the dumbest poster award - they should just name it after you at this point.
