Marshall-Ohio bowl game ratings 15% higher than BYU-Oregon State

[Color Me Badd Fan]

The last second victory BYU-UCLA game had a 2.48 rating.

Well then, it appears as if both the BYU and Southern California markets are overrated.

I don't think any rational fan suggests BYU is Notre Dame, USC or the top 4-5 teams in the SEC. So there's a little bit of a strawman built up for the use of Indy employing his old schtick of trying to act like the reasoned guy compared to a bunch of crazed BYU fans.

But BYU as an independent represents two things to someone like ESPN: flexibility and a competitive program. While few casual fans give a shit about the Las Vegas Bowl, they do give a shit if BYU is playing a team during the regular season that is competing for a BCS bowl bid/conference championship. Clearly ESPN has an interest in using BYU to schedule something like a competitive Thursday night game.

I'd like to see the TV ratings for BYU vs. Oklahoma compared against other Oklahoma games. The Sun Bowl featuring Oklahoma received a 3.31, so am I to assume that Oklahoma is not much of a better draw than Ohio or Marshall because of the relatively paltry difference between what the Sun Bowl and the Pizza Bowl received? Trying to draw too many conclusions out of the damn Las Vegas bowl is like trying to draw conclusions out of the TV ratings from an NIT game. Some bowls obviously draw more interest than NIT games, the Las Vegas bowl isn't one of them.

[ERCougar]

Indy, I'd expect more of you.

We're not comparing BYU's draw against other teams in the country. We're comparing BYU's take of the MTN money vs what they could make on their own. BYU doesn't have to be a big national draw--they just need to be bigger than the average MWC team.

[Color Me Badd Fan]

Indy, I'd expect more of you.

We're not comparing BYU's draw against other teams in the country. We're comparing BYU's take of the MTN money vs what they could make on their own. BYU doesn't have to be a big national draw--they just need to be bigger than the average MWC team.

Marshall and Ohio got 89.7% of the same number of eyeballs as Oklahoma vs. Stanford. Apparently Marshall and Ohio are 90% programs as Oklahoma and routinely demand 90% of the exposure.

[Indy Coug]

Indy, I'd expect more of you.

We're not comparing BYU's draw against other teams in the country. We're comparing BYU's take of the MTN money vs what they could make on their own. BYU doesn't have to be a big national draw--they just need to be bigger than the average MWC team.

I'm exploring the ethereal claim that ESPN covets BYU and will give them a significant amount of TV revenue to play a guaranteed multiple number of regular season games on their networks.

One of the favorite claims has bounced around for years and years on the BYU boards is that BYU football generates significant TV ratings. I don't think ANYONE has definitely demonstrated that to be the case.

[ERCougar]

I'm exploring the ethereal claim that ESPN covets BYU and will give them a significant amount of TV revenue to play a guaranteed multiple number of regular season games on their networks.

One of the favorite claims has bounced around for years and years on the BYU boards is that BYU football generates significant TV ratings. I don't think ANYONE has definitely demonstrated that to be the case.

OK...but:
1) Our scheduling wouldn't totally depend on ESPN driving it.
2) You don't think we're more of a draw than your average WAC team (creek's argument)?

[KillerDog]

Sounds like ESPN thought a contract with BYU was worth $4mm a year despite our low Vegas Bowl numbers.