ESPN Owes Advertisers $20M for Low Ratings on CFP Semi-Finals

[Mavric]

Despite the efforts of the College Football Playoff committee and some media outlets downplaying the financial hit ESPN took by being forced to televise the two national championship semi-final games on New Year’s Eve, media buyers say the network owes upwards of $20 million in ad makegoods for ratings shortfalls for the two games.

ESPN may have gotten a bit greedy when setting its ratings estimates and offering higher guarantee levels to advertisers for the two games, knowing audiences might not flock to their TV sets, despite the optimism of the CFP committee. However, advertisers are concerned about next season’s potential audience levels for the games, which will also be televised on New Year’s Eve. Even if the ratings guarantees by ESPN are set lower, advertisers would prefer the games be moved to New Year’s Day or even on consecutive primetime nights, exclusive of New Year’s Eve, when more people would likely watch.

But CFP committee officials are on record as adamantly supporting the continued airing of the playoff series games on New Year’s Eve as scheduled, which will occur in seven of the remaining 10 years of the 12-year original deal. And that position has been taken even after the 36% combined ratings decline for the two games was disclosed.

 

Link

[BigRedBuster]

Hmmm....didn't know there was such a thing in these contracts.

[JJ Husker]

Well crap, now I feel bad for watching that Clemson-OU game but a little better about missing MSU and the Gumps.

[Redux]

I am a little glad to hear ESPN took a hit, cause it's funny.

 

They do need to move the games though, because obvious reasons.