A day that will go down in infamy…
NBC is using the flexible scheduling provisions with the National Football League to move the previously scheduled 1pm EST game between the Washington Redskins and Baltimore Ravens game in Baltimore to primetime on Sunday Night Football at 8:15pm. The game between New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks will now be played at 4:05pm EST.
The Redskins and Ravens are both 7-4, and in contention. The Patriots, also 7-4 are still in contention as well, but the Seahawks at 2-9 are long past any post-season aspirations. Flex scheduling has been around since 2005, and it allows NBC to somewhat cherry pick more attractive games during November and December.
I’m not actually sure about this move from a Nielsen ratings perspective. I get the theory that a competitive game by two teams in contention for a playoff birth should be a better game, and I get the theory that the better game should draw better ratings. But in practice, it doesn’t seem to always work that way.
As a Redskins fan, I’m very, very happy about this. But the purpose of the flexible schedule to pick the more attractive games is to generate higher ratings. I’m not sure that really happens here. Sure, the Seahawks have stunk it up (although the Redskins beat them by only a field goal yesterday), but with the Tom Brady-less Patriots trailing the Farve-fueled New York Jets in the standings (if that’s still the case by then), I don’t know that the story there and the halo of the New England market wouldn’t pull better ratings than Redskins vs. Ravens.
NBC might think the Redskins are the better draw based on the excellent ratings for last week’s game versus the Cowboys in primetime. But, that was all about the Cowboys. Speaking of the Cowboys…
Obviously there are limits to games that NBC can cherry pick, because that same week, the Dallas Cowboys vs. the Pittsburgh Steelers is the national double header game on Fox (but I’ll probably get stuck with St. Louis vs. Arizona, if so….harsh!), and if there were no limits to flex-scheduling, NBC would’ve no doubt picked the Cowboys vs. Steelers game up.
I think the networks, CBS & FOX can protect 2 games each week. But, they have to be in weeks before, I think it’s four weeks, NBC gets to choose as little as 6 days before to “pick” the game they would like to air. In my eyes, NBC got the best of the TV packages, they get to flex the games in Nov & Dec, in prime time, and get a Super Bowl out of the deal.
Johnny, that 6 day limit applies only to the last week of the season.
I believefor all other “flex” weeks NBC has to give 1217days notice. And the Super Bowl rotates. If you mean that by televising SNF that NBC gets to participate in the rotation, I guess they get a “Super Bowl out of the deal”.I doubt that CBS or Fox are complaining about the NFL packages they have. As for NBC, their Sunday nights will become a black hole once football is over. I think that weighed big on ABC when they decided to pass on MNF a few years ago, because every January their Monday ratings totally sucked.
Well, even though the Pats are chasing the Jets for the AFC East, they are also going to have to fight the Colts and Ravens for playoff positioning as well. Three teams for two Wild Card spots? Sounds like intriguing TV to me.
Plus, you’d be surprised by the Ravens when it comes to nationally televised games. Last year, the bottom fell out of the team early in the season, but they gave us one of the best games of the decade against New England on MNF when no one expected it. Neither DC or Baltimore are ’sexy’, but this should be a pretty good battle of young QBs and strong defenses (Ravens’ game against the Giants, withstanding).
I think it is a somewhat good thing. Som people go to Ravens games like me (we have season tickets) and it gets annoying when you have to go out of your way to go to a different time than planned. Luckily they give you somewhat of a heads up before they change that. I went to the game last night! GOO RAVENS!