No one wants to pay to watch Big Ten football

[Scooch]

Live college football is becoming a tougher sell. This will be an acute issue for the Big Ten. The conference’s football has grown rudderless and languid compared to competitors. Traditional, irrational fandom is all the B1G has left. Adding Maryland and Rutgers will be like adding water to a bland curry.

http://thebiglead.com/2014/07/28/iowa-joins-big-ten-schools-having-trouble-selling-football-tickets/

It ain't just SU, folks.

 

[anomander]

At least we sell booze.

This is where playing in a 80-100k stadium becomes a disadvantage.

 

[orange79]

I'm thinking they should pay me to watch Big Ten football. Le snore...

 

[kirbivore]

This guy isn't a fan of the B1G new teams (apologies if somebody posted in another thread)

http://chicago.barstoolsports.com/r...o-make-the-new-big-ten-makes-me-want-to-puke/

 

[TheCusian]

This guy isn't a fan of the B1G new teams (apologies if somebody posted in another thread)

http://chicago.barstoolsports.com/r...o-make-the-new-big-ten-makes-me-want-to-puke/

That Wiscy schedule is awful. ACC is looking better and better.

 

[SouthernCuse]

That Wiscy schedule is awful. ACC is looking better and better.

good rant you posted, thanks.

 

[baggerbob]

When ESPN low balls the football contract in 2016, Delany is going to go nuts. ESPN has SEC, ACC, some Notre Dame, and Texas, they don't need the Big 10. All their football would be is additional bad content, taking away from showing good football.

 

[OrangePA]

http://thebiglead.com/2014/07/28/iowa-joins-big-ten-schools-having-trouble-selling-football-tickets/

It ain't just SU, folks.

Scooch - Didn't you and I have this discussion two weeks ago?

Would you consider the Iowa experience the kind of data you prefer over anecdotal evidence?

The games are too long, the officials are too involved, the live experience is not as much fun as it used to be.

 

[NashvilleOrange]

When ESPN low balls the football contract in 2016, Delany is going to go nuts. ESPN has SEC, ACC, some Notre Dame, and Texas, they don't need the Big 10. All their football would be is additional bad content, taking away from showing good football.

Delany has a big enough ego that he'll think they're better off elsewhere. For better or worse, ESPN is the king of college sports and if you lose out on ESPN primetime, marquee Sportscenter appearances and airtime during the talkshows, you'll be at a disadvantage when it comes to the polls and ultimately the playoff selection. Let's hope Delany is as big headed as he appears.

 

[Crusty]

The rebellion by cable companies is just around the corner as well. Cramming packages for carry fees is going to go the way of the dodo bird.

 

[retro44]

the problem I see here is that the big ten is encouraging teams to trade in sold tickets to television dollars that are controlled by a network and the commissioner.

No shows can have a very big impact not only on the school but the community as a whole. I would much rather have the money in my pocket than theirs. Conferences are just getting too big to handle on certain levels

 

[Scooch]

Scooch - Didn't you and I have this discussion two weeks ago? Would you consider the Iowa experience the kind of data you prefer over anecdotal evidence? The games are too long, the officials are too involved, the live experience is not as much fun as it used to be.

Weren't we talking about football popularity in total? This piece is talking strictly about attendance AND how the TV experience is better. More fans are consuming football on TV than ever before, and the NFL and CFB fan bases are bigger than ever.

That was a point I was making. That looking solely at one piece is not determinative of the whole.

 

[retro44]

The rebellion by cable companies is just around the corner as well. Cramming packages for carry fees is going to go the way of the dodo bird.

somewhere I read that the big cluster got $.20 per household in NYC and a buck on the upper tier sport packages in Jersey.

 

[Crusty]

somewhere I read that the big cluster got $.20 per household in NYC and a buck on the upper tier sport packages in Jersey.

Yes, but there is blowback from cable operators against this paradigm. Now they have the technology to measure what everybody watches and they want to pay for what their subscribers actually want to watch. It will happen sooner than later, I think.

 

[Scooch]

Yes, but there is blowback from cable operators against this paradigm. Now they have the technology to measure what everybody watches and they want to pay for what their subscribers actually want to watch. It will happen sooner than later, I think.

That technology isn't as much of a holy grail as some might think though. For example, most cable boxes never turn off, so there can be hours and hours of "viewing" to the last channel on before the TV set was turned off. Cable companies can't measure the set, just the box,

There's also some level of disconnect between viewing levels and value of a network to customer retention and/or acquisition. Meaning, USA may be viewed a lot, but less people consider a "must have" network that would cause them to keep a cable subscription.

Sorry, I know too much about this stuff and I feel compelled to comment against my better judgement!

 

[CousCuse]

Scooch - Didn't you and I have this discussion two weeks ago?

Would you consider the Iowa experience the kind of data you prefer over anecdotal evidence?

The games are too long, the officials are too involved, the live experience is not as much fun as it used to be.

Live sports events are not much fun. Everybody is uptight about behavior , just a reflection of the larger social reality. I despise soccer , but those World Cup games looked like fun , like the Dome for Orange football back in the 80's and 90's.

 

[OrangePA]

Live sports events are not much fun. Everybody is uptight about behavior , just a reflection of the larger social reality. I despise soccer , but those World Cup games looked like fun , like the Dome for Orange football back in the 80's and 90's.

I still think Syracuse Football games in the Dome are a lot of fun.

But, I have a particular thing for SU Football.

I know that many around me complain that the games are too long. But for me, it doesn't matter. I love SU Football games in the Dome.

 

[OrangePA]

Weren't we talking about football popularity in total? This piece is talking strictly about attendance AND how the TV experience is better. More fans are consuming football on TV than ever before, and the NFL and CFB fan bases are bigger than ever.

That was a point I was making. That looking solely at one piece is not determinative of the whole.

Yes, I think we were talking over each other a bit.

I have never argued that TV ratings for football are not thriving.

My point was that more and more people I know don't like going to the games.

And I suggested that when the fans - big time football fans - stop going to the games, that's a problem and foretells future trouble.

 

[Timonen]

Live sports events are not much fun. Everybody is uptight about behavior , just a reflection of the larger social reality. I despise soccer , but those World Cup games looked like fun , like the Dome for Orange football back in the 80's and 90's.

I think the other angle to factor in is the distance to travel to some of these giant state school games for their fans. It's one thing for a pro team to face the issue of in-person experience vs tv because their fan base lives in relative proximity to the game. The Iowa fan base isn't just concentrated around their city. They're dispersed across a big state. The time/hassle investment to go to a game is really really big. It's rarely worth it for me to drive <10 miles and deal with the parking/cost/time commitment for the pro sports teams in atlanta. if they were 4 hours away, there's no chance i'd go regularly.

 

[CousCuse]

I think the other angle to factor in is the distance to travel to some of these giant state school games for their fans. It's one thing for a pro team to face the issue of in-person experience vs tv because their fan base lives in relative proximity to the game. The Iowa fan base isn't just concentrated around their city . They're dispersed across a big state. The time/hassle investment to go to a game is really really big. It's rarely worth it for me to drive <10 miles and deal with the parking/cost/time commitment for the pro sports teams in atlanta. if they were 4 hours away, there's no chance i'd go regularly.

I think it's perceived entertainment value. When Donny MacPherson, Graves and McNabb were there for that era , it was so much fun that people I knew would drive far to take part in it.