Welcome to a new feature on the Hotline, a weekly column devoted to the college football media space in which we’ll address the latest news, issues, controversies and ratings, plus the top matchups of the week.
Pac-12 ratings game
The on-field results are merely half the story this season for Washington State and Oregon State. The TV ratings matter, too. They matter as much as wins and losses as the schools fight for relevance as a two-team conference.
Their Week 1 audience numbers were solid, not sensational, under the circumstances.
The Cougars’ wipeout of Portland State drew 223,000 viewers in the 12 p.m. window on The CW, while the Beavers’ victory over Idaho State generated 381,000 viewers at 3:30 p.m., according to SportsTVRatings.
“Given the matchups — and in the case of OSU, the other games they were up against — it’s not a bad start for the first week on The CW,” said Bob Thompson, the retired president of Fox Sports.
Because The CW is relatively new to college football, and completely new to West Coast teams, year-over-year comparisons are difficult.
But as an example, that viewership number for Oregon State compares favorably to the number generated (418,000) last season in OSU’s victory over San Diego State on FS1.
Also difficult, if not impossible: Comparing the ratings for the Cougars and Beavers on The CW to previous broadcasts on the Pac-12 Networks. The conference’s now-defunct network was not rated by Nielsen.
The Hotline will closely monitor ratings for WSU and OSU as the season unfolds.
Exposure issues, blackouts, etc.
There are not one but two notable carriage disputes that could result in blackouts this weekend for the Disney-owned games on DirecTV and the Big Ten Network (BTN) games on Comcast along the West Coast. Also, a slew of games are only available on streaming services.
Here’s a rundown for the former and current Pac-12 schools:
— Streaming only: Arizona (ESPN+), Stanford (ESPN+) and Oregon (Peacock).
— Subject to blackout on DirecTV: Arizona State (ESPN) and Cal (ESPN2)
— Subject to blackout on Comcast: USC (BTN) and Washington (BTN)
Meanwhile four teams will be available on broadcast or cable networks with no encumbrances: Colorado (NBC), Oregon State (CBS Sports Network), Utah (Fox) and Washington State (Fox).
And in case you’re wondering: Recent comments from DirecTV’s CFO indicate a resolution to the stalemate with Disney could come later than sooner.
Per the Wall Street Journal, Ray Carpenter offered the following warning: “We’re not playing a short-term game. We need something that is going to work for the long-term sustainability of our video customers. The resolve is there.”
We’ll see if that resolve endures until kickoff of Monday Night Football on ESPN.
Viewer’s guide to Week 2
The first full week of the regular season placed the viewership spotlight onto the SEC’s new arrangement with ESPN and ABC.
This week, the focus shifts to the Big Ten and its broadcast windows on Fox (9 a.m.), CBS (12:30 p.m.) and NBC (4:30 p.m.). Each network will air an intriguing non-conference matchup on Big Ten turf in triple-header fashion.
(Listed chronologically. All times Pacific.)
1. Texas at Michigan (9 a.m. on Fox): The most anticipated non-conference game of the season features two of last season’s playoff participants. The visitors are loaded; the hosts were gutted by attrition.
2. Iowa State at Iowa (12:30 p.m. on CBS): Given what we saw from Iowa’s offense last week, it might take 21 points to win.
3. Colorado at Nebraska (4:30 p.m. on NBC): The second-best game of the day features second-year coaches (Deion Sanders and Matt Rhule) hoping to grab momentum for their reclamation projects. Will Nebraska’s heralded rookie quarterback, Dylan Raiola, hold his own against Shedeur Sanders?
4. Tennessee at N.C. State (4:30 p.m. on ABC): The ACC has taken a beating thus far. The Wolf Pack can reclaim a morsel of relevance for the conference.
5. Boise State at Oregon (7 p.m. on Peacock): Are the Ducks as good as we thought before the season or as bad as they looked last weekend — or somewhere in between? Keep an eye on Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty, one of the nation’s top tailbacks.
The ratings game, crew news, etc.
— Colorado’s opener against North Dakota State averaged 4.8 million viewers — a massive number for any game involving an FCS opponent. It was ESPN’s highest-rated Thursday opener in seven years.
Related Articles
The Holy Score: Breaking down Week 1 victories by Utah and Brigham Young
Pac-12 bowl projections: Utah, Oregon to the CFP, UW to Las Vegas
College Football Playoff projections: Notre Dame’s huge win (and the ripple effect), Iowa’s at-large path and USC on the bubble
My AP ballot, Georgia’s No. 1, ND rises, USC soars and Oregon drops
Best of the West ranking: Utah is No. 1 as USC rises, Oregon falls
— USC’s victory over LSU on Sunday night averaged 9.2 million viewers, which was down slightly from the LSU-Florida State game in the same slot last year, according to SportsMediaWatch.
It’s a strong number nonetheless and more evidence that the Sunday of Labor Day weekend presents a broadcast opportunity college football needs to exploit. (We’re talking to you, Big 12.)
— Former Texas quarterback Colt McCoy, now an NBC analyst, is scheduled to make his debut on the call for the Colorado-Nebraska game Saturday afternoon.
That should irritate both fan bases equally.
— The Fox broadcast crew assigned to Utah-Baylor features Jason Benetti (play-by-play), Brock Huard (analyst) and Allison Williams (sideline). It’s one of the best in the business.
— Kickoff times for Week 4 games (Sept. 21) will be announced Monday.
*** Send suggestions, comments and tips (confidentiality guaranteed) to wilnerhotline@bayareanewsgroup.com or call 408-920-5716
*** Follow me on Twitter/X: @WilnerHotline
