TV Ratings: Tulsa VS Boise State

[Tulsa Guy]

2018 BOISE STATE HOME GAMES:
Sept 8, UConn, 233K
Oct 6, SDSU, 263K
Oct 19, Colorado State, 420K
Nov 3, BYU, 470K
Nov 24, Utah State, 1.078M
Average: 493K

TULSA TV TELECASTS:
Sept 20, Tulsa @Temple, 728K
Oct 4, Tulsa @Houston, 562K
Oct 12, USF @Tulsa, 1.170M
Average: 820K

Oklahoma is the smallest state in the AAC geography but would be the 3rd largest state in MWC behind only California and Colorado. Idaho has about 2 million people and Oklahoma has about 4 million.

My guess is a lot of OU and OSU fans in this football crazy state turn on the TV and watch Tulsa games. If Tulsa is to boost its home attendance, it appears that the OU and OSU audience is a primary target.

 

[astonmartin708]

2018 BOISE STATE HOME GAMES:
Sept 8, UConn, 233K
Oct 6, SDSU, 263K
Oct 19, Colorado State, 420K
Nov 3, BYU, 470K
Nov 24, Utah State, 1.078M
Average: 493K

TULSA TV TELECASTS:
Sept 20, Tulsa @Temple, 728K
Oct 4, Tulsa @Houston, 562K
Oct 12, USF @Tulsa, 1.170M
Average: 820K

Oklahoma is the smallest state in the AAC geography but would be the 3rd largest state in MWC behind only California and Colorado. Idaho has about 2 million people and Oklahoma has about 4 million.

My guess is a lot of OU and OSU fans in this football crazy state turn on the TV and watch Tulsa games. If Tulsa is to boost its home attendance, it appears that the OU and OSU audience is a primary target.

Comparing our away numbers to their home numbers isn't quite fair.

 

[lawpoke87]

Hard to compare numbers when the games are played on different days of the week at different times on different networks.

 

[HuffyCane]

A lot of closet TU fans during the Graham era watching games at home wearing OU gear. No doubt about that. No reason not to think we don’t get casual viewers as well.

But who watches on TV in Mangum and Shawnee has nothing to do with who goes to the games in Tulsa.

Similarly, Boise kicking off at 11pm EST has an effect on those numbers you cite.

As does where the game is located on the dial.

And some people just watch football regardless. High school game attract similar numbers as the MWC.

None of that should control how home attendance is marketed. There’s mountains of data going back decades across all sports that supports the contention that people who buy tickets don’t necessarily care who wins (but that does help), or even who is playing. The main driver of attendance is perceived value of in game experience versus cost. (Was it easy to get to, was I cramped or uncomfortable in seating, was there a variety of concessions purchased easily). TU neglected these realities for too long. The Drillers solving these same issues and attendance exploding caused many people to wake up. TU brought in people to solve these problems. They solved many of them. And left. That’s sets us back but they are working on the game experience and deserve credit for doing so. Attendance will gradually turn around.

 

[TU_BLA]

The Tulsa and OKC markets typically rank in the top 10 any given Saturday in college football viewership and not just for OU/OSU games. Tulsa has proven it will sit at home and watch games on TV (it is usually a top 5 market for USMNT, USWNT games on TV and even World Cup games w/o the US playing). Also does fairly well for MLS and EPL viewership week to week. People in Tulsa love their sports, they just don't like getting off their a$$es and actually going to games.

 

[HuffyCane]

The Tulsa and OKC markets typically rank in the top 10 any given Saturday in college football viewership and not just for OU/OSU games. Tulsa has proven it will sit at home and watch games on TV (it is usually a top 5 market for USMNT, USWNT games on TV and even World Cup games w/o the US playing). Also does fairly well for MLS and EPL viewership week to week. People in Tulsa love their sports, they just don't like getting off their a$$es and actually paying to see games if it’s on bench and have to wait to buy stale popcorn.

FIFY

 

[HuffyCane]

The Tulsa and OKC markets typically rank in the top 10 any given Saturday in college football viewership and not just for OU/OSU games. Tulsa has proven it will sit at home and watch games on TV (it is usually a top 5 market for USMNT, USWNT games on TV and even World Cup games w/o the US playing). Also does fairly well for MLS and EPL viewership week to week. People in Tulsa love their sports, they just don't like getting off their a$$es and actually going to games.

Tulsa has ranked at or near number one in per capita viewership of the EPL since they started measuring. The networks have spent considerable sums trying to figure out why so they can duplicate it. No conclusive answers.

 

[Tulsa Guy]

Comparing our away numbers to their home numbers isn't quite fair.

Tulsa had only one home game telecast on ESPN. The other Tulsa home TV telecasts were on ESPNU and CBSSN for which there were no TV ratings available....so I added the two away games.

 

[TU_BLA]

Tulsa has ranked at or near number one in per capita viewership of the EPL since they started measuring. The networks have spent considerable sums trying to figure out why so they can duplicate it. No conclusive answers.

EPL does well because it doesn't interfere with college or pro football on any given weekend. The early AM timeslots on those days are perfect to chill and watch while prepping for college football whether you're going to the game or watching it at home. The college football viewership ratings for games not involving OU and OSU though are pretty high when you're talking about share (per capita). The ESPN, ABC, and CBS prime time games usually get a good rating.

 

[HuffyCane]

EPL does well because it doesn't interfere with college or pro football on any given weekend. The early AM timeslots on those days are perfect to chill and watch while prepping for college football whether you're going to the game or watching it at home. The college football viewership ratings for games not involving OU and OSU though are pretty high when you're talking about share (per capita). The ESPN, ABC, and CBS prime time games usually get a good rating.

If that were true and the only reason, it would be true in many other cities across the country. But it isn’t. But you are right, for guys like us, it’s a draw.

If you can’t tell from my posts, I’ve got a few close friends in senior positions at ESPN and other broadcasting outlets. We group text. Trust me, they’ve spent considerable time and money trying to figure out why soccer is so popular in Tulsa on TV. There’s millions at stake if they can quantify it then replicate it elsewhere. The MLS rankings are higher than average too. It’s not overseas viewers moving here - they’ve run those numbers. And youth soccer participation is high in Tulsa but nowhere near other similar sports markets like suburban Dallas and Atlanta. I think it’s just a facet of Tulsa’s quirky culture. Dudes will get up at 7am to watch people win at something.

 

[Tulsa Guy]

Similarly, Boise kicking off at 11pm EST has an effect on those numbers you cite.

Boise State made a tragic mistake when they went for the $1.8M cash grab. That, of course, opened the doors to Tulsa to be in AAC, the last school chosen.

BSU was so smitten with itself, it thought conference affiliation had no affect on their future. Then too I don't think BSU administration envisioned that other schools would do what BSU had done, and other schools like UCF and Houston would emerge to take that NY6 spot.

Utah, TCU, and BYU left MWC when given the opportunity to move up to a better conference or, in the case of BYU, a better football situation. BSU, now along with UConn, are the only two schools declining to move up their football programs. The MWC is now a drag on BSU's football program.

 

[HuffyCane]

Similarly, Boise kicking off at 11pm EST has an effect on those numbers you cite.

Boise State made a tragic mistake when they went for the $1.8M cash grab. That, of course, opened the doors to Tulsa to be in AAC, the last school chosen.

BSU was so smitten with itself, it thought conference affiliation had no affect on their future. Then too I don't think BSU administration envisioned that other schools would do what BSU had done, and other schools like UCF and Houston would emerge to take that NY6 spots.

Utah, TCU, and BYU left MWC when given the opportunity to move up to a better conference or, in the case of BYU, a better football situation. BSU, now along with UConn, are the only two schools declining to move up their football programs. The MWC is now a drag on BSU's football program.

You don’t know what you are talking about. BYU was kicked out of the MWC for complaining and acting entitled. They tried to dress it up under the guise of a dispute over Sabbath participation and football revenue sharing but that ain’t why they aren’t in the conference anymore. The MWC got tired of their crap and BYU dominating every sport and said goodbye. That ain’t lost on Boise.

 

[TU_BLA]

If that were true and the only reason, it would be true in many other cities across the country. But it isn’t. But you are right, for guys like us, it’s a draw.

If you can’t tell from my posts, I’ve got a few close friends in senior positions at ESPN and other broadcasting outlets. We group text. Trust me, they’ve spent considerable time and money trying to figure out why soccer is so popular in Tulsa on TV. There’s millions at stake if they can quantify it then replicate it elsewhere. The MLS rankings are higher than average too. It’s not overseas viewers moving here - they’ve run those numbers. And youth soccer participation is high in Tulsa but nowhere near other similar sports markets like suburban Dallas and Atlanta. I think it’s just a facet of Tulsa’s quirky culture. Dudes will get up at 7am to watch people win at something.

I think part of the EPL draw is also the consistency with the schedule. I know pretty much every Saturday, there will be EPL games at 6:30am CST, 8:55am CST, and 11:30AM CST (NBC GoW) and Sunday at 8:00AM, 10:30AM. ESPN and FS1's MLS schedule is ALL OVER THE PLACE. It's not consistent week to week and they probably need to do more regional contests at the same time vs. 1 GoW. Perhaps give Tulsa more Sporting KC and FC Dallas in game 1 and then a big rivalry, big game for playoff position etc. in game 2.

I can tell you my soccer viewership on TV is about 1000% from what I used to watch (international games only). Same with my wife. A lot has to stem from us wanting to know the game more because of my son's involvement. We go to local games (HS, college, USL, WPSL) and pretty much watch whatever game might be on TV (EPL, MLS, international, ICC, youth UEFA Championships this weekend). Market to those families. Neither of us grew up in soccer at all and are now wanting to catch up just to watch and learn more about the game in general so we have a clue.

 

[HuffyCane]

I think part of the EPL draw is also the consistency with the schedule. I know pretty much every Saturday, there will be EPL games at 6:30am CST, 8:55am CST, and 11:30AM CST (NBC GoW) and Sunday at 8:00AM, 10:30AM. ESPN and FS1's MLS schedule is ALL OVER THE PLACE. It's not consistent week to week and they probably need to do more regional contests at the same time vs. 1 GoW. Perhaps give Tulsa more Sporting KC and FC Dallas in game 1 and then a big rivalry, big game for playoff position etc. in game 2.

I can tell you my soccer viewership on TV is about 1000% from what I used to watch (international games only). Same with my wife. A lot has to stem from us wanting to know the game more because of my son's involvement. We go to local games (HS, college, USL, WPSL) and pretty much watch whatever game might be on TV (EPL, MLS, international, ICC, youth UEFA Championships this weekend). Market to those families. Neither of us grew up in soccer at all and are now wanting to catch up just to watch and learn more about the game in general so we have a clue.

If you want to know the game better, the Soccer Coaching Academy on Sirius is a good listen most of the time. Its coaches talking about how to coach. You’ll learn the game a lot quicker than YouTube and books or paying $500 for some weekend course. I wish there was a similar product for college football. I would love to hear Graham talk with people for an hour each week about how to coach. As for the rest of Sirius XMFC line up, Jason Davis is a long time friend, so I listen to his show out of loyalty, but he is just a fan. Charlie Davies is surprising in how much he knows and is willing to show. The rest of the line up is a waste of time. I do like to listen to Meola bellyache. Sorry for the thread jack.

 

[TU_BLA]

If you want to know the game better, the Soccer Coaching Academy on Sirius is a good listen most of the time. Its coaches talking about how to coach. You’ll learn the game a lot quicker than YouTube and books or paying $500 for some weekend course. I wish there was a similar product for college football. I would love to hear Graham talk with people for an hour each week about how to coach. As for the rest of Sirius XMFC line up, Jason Davis is a long time friend, so I listen to his show out of loyalty, but he is just a fan. Charlie Davies is surprising in how much he knows and is willing to show. The rest of the line up is a waste of time. I do like to listen to Meola bellyache. Sorry for the thread jack.

I do follow a podcast called the "6-yd Box"...it's geared towards goalkeeping. I have pulled some really interesting stuff from it like how to figure out how many people to put into a wall. My son's been to 2-3 GK camps each year for the last 4 years and rarely do they ever talk about how many people to put in your wall, especially at his age.

One of the benefits of being the mgr of my son's team (freaking thankless job BTW) is getting to know coaches and their philosophies on coaching. I will listen to every coach who my son plays for to pick up stuff. One of the things I realized I didn't spend enough time with my team when I was coaching was how to properly receive a pass. We worked on passing and movement a lot. But just listening to coaches on the sideline, in practices, halftime of games, is probably one of the most invaluable things to be able to cull information from. I hope to get back into coaching at some point.

 

[Tulsa Guy]

You don’t know what you are talking about. BYU was kicked out of the MWC for complaining and acting entitled. They tried to dress it up under the guise of a dispute over Sabbath participation and football revenue sharing but that ain’t why they aren’t in the conference anymore. The MWC got tired of their crap and BYU dominating every sport and said goodbye. That ain’t lost on Boise.

The primary emphasis for BYU voluntarily leaving MWC was Utah leaving for PAC. BYU was not kicked out by MWC. BYU wanted to maintain a "status" approaching Utah U's membership in PAC. BYU was willing to leave its olympic sports in MWC but MWC said no dice. In that regard of olympic sports, it is correct to say BYU was kicked out. BYU is playing 4 to 6 P5 teams a year assisted by ESPN in scheduling. BYU's TV contract with ESPN is substantially more than MWC but since BYU is a private school, the actual ESPN amount is unknown. It is thought to be about $6M.

 

[Gmoney4WW]

The primary emphasis for BYU voluntarily leaving MWC was Utah leaving for PAC. BYU was not kicked out by MWC. BYU wanted to maintain a "status" approaching Utah U's membership in PAC. BYU was willing to leave its olympic sports in MWC but MWC said no dice. In that regard of olympic sports, it is correct to say BYU was kicked out. BYU is playing 4 to 6 P5 teams a year assisted by ESPN in scheduling. BYU's TV contract with ESPN is substantially more than MWC but since BYU is a private school, the actual ESPN amount is unknown. It is thought to be about $6M.

That is what you read, that is not necessarily the truth.