THROUGH WEEK 8

Total Viewers
SEC 116,370,000
B10 114,009,000
B12 75,212,000
PAC 100,526,000
ACC 79,604,000
AAC 25,857,000
MWC 25,765,000
SBC 8,126,000
CUSA 6,725,000
MAC 7,025,000

Conference Controlled Inventory Viewers
SEC 100,650,000
B10 85,597,000
B12 57,942,000
PAC 78,578,000
ACC 57,594,000
AAC 15,432,000
MWC 8,895,000
SBC 3,392,000
CUSA 2,220,000
MAC 307,000

The American Athletic Conference is right on pace to match last year's viewers of conference-controlled football games. That was 22 million viewers. We still have Black Friday on ABC AND ESPN, the CCG, three Friday night games on ESPN and ESPN2, and more Saturday games than G4s on ESPN linear networks, with two more weeks still to be selected.
Yes, 2023 new-look AAC will do just as well as 2022 AAC did from the perspective of our media rights partners.

The fact-free takes about losing our contract remain laughable.

A little teaser for Week 9 TV ratings later today.
SportsTVRatings dot com has numbers up from Tuesday 24 October - Friday 27 October, so here are the weeknight viewership numbers...

Thursday ESPN Syracuse-Virginia Tech 782,000
Wednesday ESPN2 UTEP - Sam Houston State 332,000
Friday on ESPN2 FAU-Charlotte 329,000
Thursday ESPN2 Georgia State-Georgia Southern 242,000
Tuesday ESPNU Liberty-WKU 136,000


And looking back at the prior drilldown to weeknight slots, in response to someone's concern over two of those conferences behind us.

Overall Weeknight Average viewers: AAC 722,000 (Th,F) SBC 454,000 (Tu,Th) CUSA 234,000 (Tu,W,Th)
ESPN Weeknight Averages: AAC 878,000 (Th,F), SBC 636,500 (Th), CUSA 567,000
ESPN2 Weeknight Averages: SBC 332,333 (Tu), CUSA 319,000 (W), AAC 254,000 (Th,F)
Thursday ESPN Averages: AAC 694,667, SBC 636,500, CUSA 567,000
Friday Averages: AAC 878,250 (ESPN,ESPN2)
Thursday Averages: AAC 565,750 (ESPN and ESPN2); SBC 505,000 (ESPN,ESPN2); CUSA 320,500 (ESPN and ESPNU)
Wednesday Averages: CUSA 319,000 (2 and U)
Tuesday Averages: SBC 377,500 (ESPN2); CUSA 121,000 (ESPNU)

My methodology point, again: I know I have previously said average per rated game doesn't do much for the whole picture. This is exactly the case where averages per game provide meaningful information - direct comparison in a timeslot/network.

Overall, we're fine - ahead of those two on weeknights period. Ahead of those two on ESPN overall and on ESPN Thursdays.
I am not concerned about a slight lag in ESPN2: our two datapoints are the two smallest FBS schools in the country, and then last week's matchup not an expected headliner. In fact, FFFF have specifically said "wait til FAU-Charlotte doesn't get any viewers!!@!" and then FAU-Charlotte beat one of their well-attended, in-state rivalries on the same network 24 hours apart.
Fridays are better than Thursdays for us (no NFL competition), but Thursdays are still better than Tues/Weds for the others. MACtion can sometimes put up bigger Tues/Weds numbers, we'll see.

THROUGH WEEK 9

Total Viewers
SEC 126,730,000
B10 124,352,000
B12 82,384,000
PAC 110,960,000
ACC 85,936,000
AAC 26,434,000
MWC 26,104,000
SBC 8,487,000
CUSA 7,193,000
MAC 7,025,000

Conference Controlled Inventory Viewers
SEC 111,010,000
B10 95,940,000
B12 65,114,000
PAC 88,148,000
ACC 62,036,000
AAC 16,009,000
MWC 9,324,000
SBC 3,753,000
CUSA 2,688,000
MAC. 291,000

MACtion has entered the weekday viewership chat


Tuesday ESPN2 Buffalo - Toledo 324,000
Tuesday ESPNU CMU - Northern Illinois 124,000
Wednesday ESPN2 Ball State - Bowling Green 341,000
Wednesday ESPNU Kent State Akron 61,000

Overall Weeknight Average viewers: AAC 722,000 (Th,F) SBC 454,000 (Tu,Th) CUSA 234,000 (Tu,W,Th), MAC 212,500 (Tu,W)
ESPN2 Weeknight Averages: MAC 332,500, SBC 332,333 (Tu), CUSA 319,000 (W), AAC 254,000 (Th,F)
ESPNU Averages: CUSA 116,400 (Tu,W,Th), MAC 92,500 (Tu,W)
Wednesday Averages: CUSA 319,000 (2 and U), MAC 201,000 (2&U)
Tuesday Averages: SBC 377,500 (ESPN2); MAC 224,000 (2&U), CUSA 121,000 (ESPNU)

(09-06-2023 04:44 PM)slhNavy91 Wrote:  

(09-06-2023 04:36 PM)Cubanbull1 Wrote:  

(09-06-2023 03:41 PM)slhNavy91 Wrote:  From sportsmediawatch dot com

Does viewership include streaming?
All Nielsen figures include streaming viewership through “virtual MVPDs” (ex. YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, Sling, Fubo, DIRECTV STREAM) on television, computer and mobile devices, though those figures are typically added to the total a few days the initial final nationals are published (and as such may not always be included in the numbers you see on this page). For programs on ESPN and ESPN2, streaming through the ESPN app and ESPN.com is also included.

Yes but we never get the number from ESPN+ streaming if the game wasn’t on one of the ESPN channels. And CBSSportsNetwork numbers as well as FS2 are not consistently reported

CBSSN is never reported.

ESPNU & FS2 often come out with "na"....but this year's have some smaller numbers so far, so maybe we'll see more

Without CBSSN its really hard to judge the MWC.

Air Force is ranked, undefeated, and competing for NY6 bowl but 7 of their games are on CBSSN. We have no idea if people are watching Air Force or not.

I assume it gets the equivalent of ESPNU numbers but we have no way of confirming that.

BTN has surprised me this year with ratings on par with FS1 and ESPN2.

Overall its an odd strategy for CBS to report their CBS numbers to Neilson but not their CBSSN numbers. If they were good, why wouldn't you prove that and shout it from the rooftops.

Going into the conference championship games...

Total Viewers
SEC 191,482,000
B10 191,465 000
B12 119,535,000
PAC 144,618,000
ACC 122,896,000
AAC 30,260,000
MWC 27,529,000
SBC 10,307,000
CUSA 7,445,000
MAC 10,201,000

Conference Controlled Inventory Viewers
SEC 168,862,000
B10 163,053,000
B12 102,265,000
PAC 122,670,000
ACC 92,446,000
AAC 19,835,000
MWC 10,659,000
SBC 4,832,000
CUSA 2,688,000
MAC. 3,483,000

Decent Black Friday 1.72M viewers, even though UTSA was playing catch up the entire game.

Not sure how that stacks up against previous Black Friday views

(11-29-2023 11:10 PM)ATXUTSAGRAD Wrote:  Decent Black Friday 1.72M viewers, even though UTSA was playing catch up the entire game.

Not sure how that stacks up against previous Black Friday views

I think our highest Black Friday was in 2017 USF 9-1 vs UCF 11-0 it attracted 4.7 million on ABC

(11-29-2023 06:08 PM)slhNavy91 Wrote:  Going into the conference championship games...

Total Viewers
SEC 191,482,000
B10 191,465 000
B12 119,535,000
PAC 144,618,000
ACC 122,896,000
AAC 30,260,000
MWC 27,529,000
SBC 10,307,000
CUSA 7,445,000
MAC 10,201,000

Conference Controlled Inventory Viewers
SEC 168,862,000
B10 163,053,000
B12 102,265,000
PAC 122,670,000
ACC 92,446,000
AAC 19,835,000
MWC 10,659,000
SBC 4,832,000
CUSA 2,688,000
MAC. 3,483,000

Oh no, I am very worried that its over, the funbelt has 1/2 the TV slots we do. I have been assured our conference championship will be bumped to ESPN+ to allow the dominant SB to dislodge the SEC championship and take their rightful place at the top of the mountain of college football. Its just a matter of time, all hail our new overlords!

(11-29-2023 11:10 PM)ATXUTSAGRAD Wrote:  Decent Black Friday 1.72M viewers, even though UTSA was playing catch up the entire game.

Not sure how that stacks up against previous Black Friday views

We also went up against an NFL game for the first time in that slot.

(11-29-2023 11:10 PM)ATXUTSAGRAD Wrote:  Decent Black Friday 1.72M viewers, even though UTSA was playing catch up the entire game.

Not sure how that stacks up against previous Black Friday views

AAC Black Friday Viewers
On ABC
2022 Tulane Cincinnati 1,720,000
2021 Cincinnati ECU 2,392,000
2019 Cincinnati Memphis 2,510,000
2017 USF UCF 4,644,000
2016 Houston Memphis 3,093,000
2015 Navy Houston 3,055,000

On ESPN
2021 USF UCF 711,000
2020 UCF USF 529,000
2019 USF UCF 1,760,000
2018 UCF USF 1,741,000
2017 Navy Houston 699,000

Before I pulled the numbers I was saying "fair, I wouldn't go as far as disappointing."
I guess that's still where I am.

(11-30-2023 11:28 AM)Poseidon Wrote:  

(11-29-2023 11:10 PM)ATXUTSAGRAD Wrote:  Decent Black Friday 1.72M viewers, even though UTSA was playing catch up the entire game.

Not sure how that stacks up against previous Black Friday views

We also went up against an NFL game for the first time in that slot.

A record low viewership for NFL on Amazon

(11-30-2023 11:36 AM)slhNavy91 Wrote:  A record low viewership for NFL on Amazon

That doesn't surprise me, being a streaming-exclusive service.

I appreciate the detailed information, but it overwhelms me. I would appreciate, if possible, the answer to the question: are TV ratings overall for the AAC to date greater than last year (eg, cumulative 11/29/23 compared to cumulative 11/29/23)?

(11-30-2023 10:15 AM)Foreverandever Wrote:  

(11-29-2023 06:08 PM)slhNavy91 Wrote:  Going into the conference championship games...

Total Viewers
SEC 191,482,000
B10 191,465 000
B12 119,535,000
PAC 144,618,000
ACC 122,896,000
AAC 30,260,000
MWC 27,529,000
SBC 10,307,000
CUSA 7,445,000
MAC 10,201,000

Conference Controlled Inventory Viewers
SEC 168,862,000
B10 163,053,000
B12 102,265,000
PAC 122,670,000
ACC 92,446,000
AAC 19,835,000
MWC 10,659,000
SBC 4,832,000
CUSA 2,688,000
MAC. 3,483,000

Oh no, I am very worried that its over, the funbelt has 1/2 the TV slots we do. I have been assured our conference championship will be bumped to ESPN+ to allow the dominant SB to dislodge the SEC championship and take their rightful place at the top of the mountain of college football. Its just a matter of time, all hail our new overlords!

I started cracking into the Sun Belt numbers.
TV slots increased by 50% overall, 50% ESPN, 60% NFLN, ESPN2 doubled, ESPNU up by one slot (that's a positive; relatively more of the increase on the U would have been a bit of a poison pill), Saturdays increased by more than 50%.

CCG pending, viewership up only 39% so far. Very good chance Sun Belt viewership increase will lag timeslot increase. That is NOT the path to "zomg!!+! ESPN is gonna help us take all the AAC's stuff!1!"

(11-30-2023 11:44 AM)Tiger1983 Wrote:  I appreciate the detailed information, but it overwhelms me. I would appreciate, if possible, the answer to the question: are TV ratings overall for the AAC to date greater than last year (eg, cumulative 11/29/23 compared to cumulative 11/29/23)?

Viewership of AAC conference controlled inventory is exactly right on last year. 19.8 million both years before the CCG

2023 AAC viewership is perfectly steady compared to 2022 AAC viewership.

(11-30-2023 11:40 AM)msu35 Wrote:  

(11-30-2023 11:36 AM)slhNavy91 Wrote:  A record low viewership for NFL on Amazon

That doesn't surprise me, being a streaming-exclusive service.

Right - but their Black Friday offering was way off their Thursday night Amazon streaming only viewership.

Theory: people were used to their NFL on Thursday nights, so they found it. They were used to NFL on Thanksgiving but not Black Friday so fewer went looking for it.

Our Thursday night numbers are better than the G4s, but way behind our Friday night viewers.

(11-30-2023 11:51 AM)slhNavy91 Wrote:  

(11-30-2023 11:40 AM)msu35 Wrote:  

(11-30-2023 11:36 AM)slhNavy91 Wrote:  A record low viewership for NFL on Amazon

That doesn't surprise me, being a streaming-exclusive service.

Right - but their Black Friday offering was way off their Thursday night Amazon streaming only viewership.

Theory: people were used to their NFL on Thursday nights, so they found it. They were used to NFL on Thanksgiving but not Black Friday so fewer went looking for it.

Our Thursday night numbers are better than the G4s, but way behind our Friday night viewers.

Good points, and the channel flippers won't find anything that's locked behind a streaming paywall.

(11-30-2023 11:48 AM)slhNavy91 Wrote:  

(11-30-2023 11:44 AM)Tiger1983 Wrote:  I appreciate the detailed information, but it overwhelms me. I would appreciate, if possible, the answer to the question: are TV ratings overall for the AAC to date greater than last year (eg, cumulative 11/29/23 compared to cumulative 11/29/23)?

Viewership of AAC conference controlled inventory is exactly right on last year. 19.8 million both years before the CCG

2023 AAC viewership is perfectly steady compared to 2022 AAC viewership.

Thank you for your response. No improvement, unfortunately.

(11-30-2023 11:36 AM)slhNavy91 Wrote:  

(11-30-2023 11:28 AM)Poseidon Wrote:  

(11-29-2023 11:10 PM)ATXUTSAGRAD Wrote:  Decent Black Friday 1.72M viewers, even though UTSA was playing catch up the entire game.

Not sure how that stacks up against previous Black Friday views

We also went up against an NFL game for the first time in that slot.

A record low viewership for NFL on Amazon

I mean it’s still the NFL.