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AP

Why the College Football Playoff Saw Viewership Plunge

Apr 22, 2016  •  Post A Comment

The College Football Playoff saw a “significant decline in television ratings” for this year’s games, the second year of the playoff, the AP reports, and organizers say they can identify some of the reasons. “They include playing late into New Year’s Eve, the non-competitive nature of those games and maybe a ‘sophomore slump,'” the story reports, citing comments by CFP Executive Director Bill Hancock.

The playoff was televised by ESPN. Hancock is quoted saying this week: “It’s just so important to remember that one year doesn’t make a trend. On the other hand, we’re watching, we’re paying attention.”

The report adds: “CFP officials already knew the TV ratings for the Dec. 31 semifinals were down about 35 percent from the 2014 season, when they were played on Jan. 1. Changes for next season already include moving the Orange Bowl to prime time on Dec. 30 and the start [of] the New Year’s Eve semifinals one hour earlier than last season.”

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One Comment

  1. Try putting all college games back on free over the airwaves stations. Many people are cutting expensive cable packages. Also, many of these universities are government subsidized by taxpayers. I am a university professor who thinks the privatization of sports at public universities is a very unethical practice.

    Joseph Scudder

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