Here is an article with quotes from ESPN’s programming director about why the FCS title game is on Sunday going up against the NFL:

https://www.inforum.com/sports/bison-med...ight-years

I don’t know if I quite buy the “It gives traveling fans a whole weekend in Frisco” argument. ESPN certainly has no qualms about making game times completely inconvenient for traveling fans if it means better TV ratings and/or revenue. There’s pretty much nothing worse for traveling fans than flexing Sunday NFL games to Monday night, yet ESPN is paying a hefty premium to the NFL to be able to do it.

I think it’s more that they look at the FCS title game as “alternative” programming, like PBA bowling or how women’s college basketball was often treated, that they can provide to affiliates to fill slots against NFL windows.

(01-07-2024 05:31 PM)IWokeUpLikeThis Wrote:  Congrats Jackrabbits on back-to-back national championships and Montana on making the NCG!

Would've loved to watch, but putting it side-by-side with the NFL's most historic rivalry in Bears/Packers lost my viewership.

A lot of SDSU ties to my current hometown of Naperville: starting QB is from here along with 3 other players on that roster. Unfortunately, Jayden Reed on the Packers is from here, too, and he torched us (the Bears).

I think the FCS National Championship is worthy of a decent Saturday afternoon time slot on its own as FCS doesn’t get a lot of national TV showcase.

(01-08-2024 11:12 AM)Frank the Tank Wrote:  I think it’s more that they look at the FCS title game as “alternative” programming, like PBA bowling or how women’s college basketball was often treated, that they can provide to affiliates to fill slots against NFL windows.

I think this is it.

In addition, as you mention upthread, Disney pays a crap ton of money to the NFL to show a handful of games on ESPN and ABC. They can get a decent rating for a pre-game show leading into their Saturday NFL doubleheader, so they do it.

The FCS championship game is quality programming, but it looks stuck on Sunday as long as it's on ABC.

(01-08-2024 12:45 PM)johnintx Wrote:  

(01-08-2024 11:12 AM)Frank the Tank Wrote:  I think it’s more that they look at the FCS title game as “alternative” programming, like PBA bowling or how women’s college basketball was often treated, that they can provide to affiliates to fill slots against NFL windows.

I think this is it.

In addition, as you mention upthread, Disney pays a crap ton of money to the NFL to show a handful of games on ESPN and ABC. They can get a decent rating for a pre-game show leading into their Saturday NFL doubleheader, so they do it.

The FCS championship game is quality programming, but it looks stuck on Sunday as long as it's on ABC.

I'd overlooked that. Good point.

Similar ABC viewership for 2022 and '23 FCS championship games going up against final Sunday of the NFL regular season:

South Dakota State 45, North Dakota State 21 (Jan. 8, 2023): 1.07M viewers (per Show Buzz Daily)

South Dakota State 23, Montana 3 (Jan. 7, 2024): 1.04M viewers (per Sports Media Watch)

(01-09-2024 10:57 AM)unalions Wrote:  Similar ABC viewership for 2022 and '23 FCS championship games going up against final Sunday of the NFL regular season:

South Dakota State 45, North Dakota State 21 (Jan. 8, 2023): 1.07M viewers (per Show Buzz Daily)

South Dakota State 23, Montana 3 (Jan. 7, 2024): 1.04M viewers (per Sports Media Watch)

To compare, the NFL pregame shows for ABC and ESPN on Saturday got 1.903 million and 1.482 million viewers respectively. That’s nearly 3.4 million viewers across ABC and ESPN that tuned in just to watch people *talk* about the NFL. This is why Disney chose that over showing the FCS game on Saturday.

https://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2024/01...asketball/