…at least until March Madness rolls around.
I was lamenting to Mr.Gorman about not getting to see the Fox national double header game of the Cowboys vs. Steelers because of regulations that say if the home team is playing at home on another network and that game is sold out – that’s the only game that can be aired. Because the San Francisco Bay area has two teams, some version of not getting the game you wanted to get and otherwise would’ve gotten happens frequently. I remarked to Bill that I hoped the San Francisco 49ers (who looked impressive in beating the Jets) game ended early enough that I’d at least get to see the last five minutes of the Dallas vs. Pittsburgh.
It worked out beautifully all the way around, especially as a Redskins fan. The Cowboys lost! Though as Bill noted Fox probably would’ve preferred the overtime. But Fox may get over 30 million just for the 7pm-7:30p half hour. The Cowboys/Steelers game came on locally on Fox pretty much as soon as the Jets vs. 49ers game ended on CBS. So I picked up the Cowboys/Steelers game with over 8 minutes left in the fourth quarter and the Steelers down 13-3 and driving. They scored a field goal, got the ball back, scored a touchdown and then with less than two minutes left intercepted Tony Romo and ran it back for a touchdown and Pittsburgh wound up winning 20-13.
As a Redskin fan I’m happy with the result even without the overtime — though I was indeed rooting for OT up until the interception. I feel like I saw the best part of the game and my dream product is the equivalent of NFL Sunday Ticket (all games, but only available on DirecTV) but only for the last quarter of games – or even the last five minutes. Charge 1/4th or even 1/3rd of what the Sunday Ticket Package costs. Because of the insane fees DirecTV pays for the NFL Sunday Ticket exclusive, that’s not going to happen anytime soon.
Still, for me, NFL games are one of the best things on television. I think it’s a much better way to enjoy the games than actually going to the games. Two things you wouldn’t likely have seen if you’d have been at the Dallas vs. Pittsburgh game:
1.) After leading the Steelers down the field for the tying touchdown, the camera was on the Steelers’ sideline. One of the assistants offers Steeler quarterback Ben Rotehlisberger a coat (it was freezing in Pittsburgh). Ben waved him off.
2.) After Dallas’ final incompletion – a Tony Romo pass theoretically intended for Jason Witten but seemingly thrown to nobody, the camera was on Terrell Owens showing his displeasure. While I’m not sure who it was he was taking to task, I have little doubt about what he was saying. “The interception returned for a touchdown – that was to Witten! The last pass? Also Witten! Who had our *only* touchdown of this game? That would be ME. Why isn’t he throwing the ball to ME when the game is on the line?!?!
Why indeed.
“I think it’s a much better way to enjoy the games than actually going to the games.”
I agree here. Especially with how COLD it is outside here in the Burgh. Game on TV was fine by me! I liked the commentary on how this is the coldest game Tony Romo has ever played.
Game overruns will likely affect ratings locally, for each market? I might be crazy, but I think the Stiller game was locally on CBS? So we overran into 60 Minutes time by about 23 minutes.
Yeah that was a real good last five minutes. But I don’t get it, I go to school on Boston and I was able to see the Dallas/Pittsburgh game, even though New England was playing on CBS. Why was able to still see the whole game on FOX?
By the ways I am from New York and a GIANTS FAN!!! The Giants are the BEST in the NFC!!
Clutz, I won’t say you’re crazy, just very likely wrong in this case. While AFC games are typically on CBS, if an NFC team plays an AFC team at the AFC team’s home, it’s on Fox (similarly, if the Steelers had played in Dallas it would’ve been on CBS).
Eddie, the Patriots weren’t playing at home, they were playing in Seattle. Had they been playing at home and at 4pm, you’d have had the same issue. I think it happens more out here because of the timezones. Day home games in San Francisco are *always* at 4p or 4:15pm eastern (1p or 1:15 pacific time). The Patriots still play games at 1pm (though some are at 4pm if designated a national game). You also only have the one team to contend with. We get hit more often here because it’s not just 49ers home games that impact us, but Raiders home games too (at least when they sell out, which isn’t always).
Mr. Seidman, I stand corrected! I had the Brown/Titans game on CBS at 1:00 EST, lost interest…and didn’t realize the channel had been changed to Fox by the time I returned to the set
. Indeed it was Fox who carried the Steelers.
Thanks for the explanation of the AFC/NFC and network scheduling plans. I had no idea how they decide what goes where!
While I agree with Robert that the 30 min overrun of the Cowboys/Steelers was probably huge for Fox, it will be interesting to see how many viewers the 30 min BCS selection snoozefest afterwards cost them. That BCS show was 30 minutes of inane blabber about things everyone already knew! Unlike the basketball tournament seeding show, which has at least some level of surprises, there was no suspense at all.
Last year the BCS show averaged over 10 million in the overnights, but last year’s overrun was either not as good (it was just over 19 million btwn 7p-7:30) not quite as long, or both. Last year the OT had over 13 million at 7:30. I think it likely this year’s overrun was much higher, but as a result, the OT and BCS will likely be higher than last year too. But the gap between BCS and overrun will be much greater this year than last.
We’ll see.
Man I feel bad for people in NY, DC/Bal or SF/Oak. Ok, well not really on the first two.
You guys are basically stuck with 2 games per week, and especially for the West Coast, get stuck with a crappy Raiders matchup while the good 415 National game is blacked out.
I’m guessing the DirecTV is putting a stop to changing that, because if I remember right, the NFL want to have a 430 or 500 national game on sunday afternoons. Or maybe CBS, who still wants 60 Minutes as close to 700 as they can, broke that.
Either way, the numbers for that game should be massive. With the cold weather and a lot of people indoors, I wouldnt be shocked if they surpass 35 million.
NFL has the advantage of having only 16 games a year per team. that makes every game cruicial and that increases the drama. imagine if the nfl was like baseball and they played 162 games a year (obviously won’t happen). the games would be less exciting b/c the games don’t mean as much. so, yes, the nfl is the most exciting sport on tv but also remember that they have an enormous advantage over the other main american sports.
the road team determines what network get the game:
if the road team is afc the game is on cbs.
if the road team is nfc the game is on fox.