Steep drop for College Football Playoffs

Last year’s inaugural College Football Playoffs were a huge success.

The two semifinals drew record ratings on ESPN, with both airing on New Year’s Day and featuring thrilling matchups that kept viewers tuned in until the final moments.

This year’s College Football Playoffs were a different story.

The two semis aired this year on New Year’s Eve rather than New Year’s Day.

That change, combined with dull games that were essentially over by the end of the third quarters, led to a big dropoff in ratings from last year.

ESPN averaged a 9.9 Nielsen household rating for the Cotton Bowl, which Alabama won 38-0 over Michigan State, setting a record for largest shutout margin of victory in Cotton Bowl history.

That rating was down 36 percent from last year, when the game averaged a 15.5.

The earlier game on Thursday, the Orange Bowl between Clemson and Oklahoma, was down 37 percent, from a 15.3 to a 9.7.

Clemson won 37-17, shutting the Sooners out during the second half.

Those are still both very good ratings. But the big decrease is concerning.

Of course, the dull nature of the games had a lot to do with the year-to-year declines. In any sporting event, viewers will tune out when the outcome is not in question, and neither contest was close.

But changing the semis to New Year’s Eve rather than New Year’s Day likely also impacted ratings.

New Year’s Day is the traditional date for bowl games. With most people off from work, it’s conducive to sitting around and watching football all day. Not everyone gets New Year’s Eve off, and Thursday’s games started at 4:30 p.m., when many were still at the office.

Plus, New Year’s Eve is a big night for partying. People are out at friends’ houses or hitting the bars to ring in the new year. Though ESPN did partner with Nielsen to measure out of home viewing for these games, the numbers won’t be out until later this month.

Alas for ESPN, it didn’t have a choice in the date change. Under the format of the College Football Playoffs, two of the six major bowl games participate in the semis each year, and this year the premiere timeslots on New Year’s Day were already taken by other bowls.

Tags: espn, sports tv, college football, sports tv ratings, college football playoffs