This is from Nielsen's 2013 year-in-sports report.

average viewership of top 10 games involving specified conference or team. (caution that these numbers aren't directly comparable to prior reports)

SEC: 9.7 Million
Big10: 7.0 Million
ACC: 5.3 Million
B12: 4.2 Million
ND: 4.0 Million
Pac12: 3.9 Million

source: Nielsen Galaxy Explorer Aug-Dec 2013. National broadcasts only on ABC, CBS, ESPN, FOX, NBC, ESPN2, ENN, NBCSN & ESPNU; regional games not included.

Uh oh, Notre Dame will drag down the average!

I assume this is the 10 best Irish games vs. the 10 best games for each conference? In that case, the Pac-12 is very sad...

(03-17-2014 03:05 PM)Hokie Mark Wrote:  Uh oh, Notre Dame will drag down the average!

I assume this is the 10 best Irish games vs. the 10 best games for each conference? In that case, the Pac-12 is very sad...

Yes, I think that's what it is. Basically, to be fair, take the weighted average of ND's best two games and half weight their second best game.

RE PAC 12: The left coast time zone is a killer. Having 12 teams isn't doing them any favors, either. The same goes for the Big XII.

(03-17-2014 03:10 PM)nzmorange Wrote:  

(03-17-2014 03:05 PM)Hokie Mark Wrote:  Uh oh, Notre Dame will drag down the average!

I assume this is the 10 best Irish games vs. the 10 best games for each conference? In that case, the Pac-12 is very sad...

Yes, I think that's what it is. Basically, to be fair, take the weighted average of ND's best two games and half weight their second best game.

RE PAC 12: The left coast time zone is a killer. Having 12 teams isn't doing them any favors, either. The same goes for the Big XII.

Agree with your point about the PAC12. I remember even seeing numbers from a couple years ago that confirmed the so-called crappy Big East had better ratings than the PAC12.

Re: the B12, nobody watches them outside of Texas, Oklahoma, part of Iowa and a couple million people in Kansas. Markets are available for them in heavily populated areas of Ohio and Florida but they won't add those schools because their names are not _(fill in the blank)_ State University.

(03-17-2014 03:10 PM)nzmorange Wrote:  

(03-17-2014 03:05 PM)Hokie Mark Wrote:  Uh oh, Notre Dame will drag down the average!

I assume this is the 10 best Irish games vs. the 10 best games for each conference? In that case, the Pac-12 is very sad...

Yes, I think that's what it is. Basically, to be fair, take the weighted average of ND's best two games and half weight their second best game.

RE PAC 12: The left coast time zone is a killer. Having 12 teams isn't doing them any favors, either. The same goes for the Big XII.

Assuming these are ratings for nationally televised games, the PAC will probably always bring up the rear just because of starting times. People on the west coast will watch games that end early and fans on the east coast are less likely to watch games that end late.

I count the 10 most viewed games involving ACC games, excluding the ACC CG, as:

Miami-FSU, ABC, 8.35M
Georgia-Clemson, ABC, 8.14M
FSU-Clemson, ABC, 5.68M
Florida-Miami, ESPN, 4.60M
Alabama-Virginia Tech, ESPN , 5.17M
FSU-Pittsburgh, ESPN, 4.47M
Clemson-Syracuse, ABC, 4.42M
Syracuse-Florida State, ABC, 4.41M
Oregon-Virginia, ABC, 4.08M
Syracuse-Penn State, ABC, 3.67M

Avg: 5.299