Ratings plunge for New Year’s Eve College Football Playoff

Alabama’s matchup with Michigan State in the Cotton Bowl likely won’t feature the same offensive fireworks as the day’s first game, but rather it’s poised to be a low-scoring affair. I don’t see that changing today, as Clemson moves on to the CFP National Championship Game after outscoring the Sooners on the strength of a late Watson touchdown run.

The Orange Bowl between Clemson and Oklahoma, which kicked off about 4:10 p.m. ET on ESPN, drew a 9.7 rating.

New Year’s Day is the traditional date for bowl games, because most people get that day off from work, which makes it conducive to sitting around and watching football all day. So did ESPN get the ratings it hoped for? The College Football Semifinal at the Capital One Orange Bowl, which resulted in No. 1 Clemson advancing past No. 4 Oklahoma 37-17 (New Year ‘s Eve at 4 p.m.), earned a 9.7 overnight, ranking seventh among ESPN’s non-Championship college football games on record. Last year’s semifinal games were played in the Rose Bowl (Florida State-Oregon, 15.5) and the Sugar Bowl (Alabama-Ohio State, 15.3).

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Alabama’s 38-0 blowout against Michigan State in the Cotton Bowl generated a 9.9 overnight rating.

Michigan State struggled mightily against Alabama on Thursday night. The Rose Bowl with the Big Ten and Pac-12 has historically been performed within the early night of January 1.

The dramatic matchups and outcomes of final yr’s video games helped draw document-breaking cable audiences for final yr’s first College Football Playoff.

Critics warned that New Year’s Eve was not comparable to family-oriented holidays in which most people stay home.

LEGO just announced a partnership with ESPN to cross-promote the upcoming College Football Playoffs. Both games will air on ESPN, which signed a 12-year, multibillion-dollar deal to host the College Football Playoffs in 2012.

“We’re all excited about New Year’s Eve”. Looks like it. They beat rivals MI and Ohio State this season. LEGO has created brick-built helmets for each of the four playoff teams, as well as some smaller football-related models for which they’ve released instructions to build your own. And even if it is, why can’t the other games fit in around the Rose and Sugar Bowls? Additionally, the game is up 106% from last year’s New Year’s Eve prime time game (Orange Bowl) and up 87% from the 2014 Cotton Bowl. December 31 is a Saturday subsequent yr. Now ESPN has an entire family of networks at their disposal; why not put the other games on ESPN2 or ABC? I really believe we’re going to change the paradigm for New Year’s Eve in this country. Next season the semifinals will again be played on New Year’s Eve, this time in the Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Arizona, and the Peach Bowl in Atlanta.