Big Ten Network Registers Ratings Records- Due to Hiring Hotties?
By Paul M. Banks
On Saturday the Big Ten Network, a national network dedicated to one collegiate athletic conference -one that leads the nation in Men’s basketball attendance every year- posted the highest total number of viewers of any day in the network’s history. Yesterday, the Big Ten Network released a public statement about that fact, and included the following information:
The Big Ten Network on Saturday had the most-watched college football games of the day across the nine metered markets within the Big Ten area. The network also broke its own local viewing records in five of those markets, including The noon ET games, which featured the Michigan-Michigan State overtime thriller and Northwestern’s come-from-behind-win at Purdue, averaged a combined 4.7 household rating (HH) in the nine metered markets, the highest rating in the region throughout the day, exceeding all other football programming.
The Ohio State-Indiana game in prime-time attracted a 4.5 HH rating, to lead all college football prime-time games in the region. while Northwestern-Purdue was the highest-rated program across all cable networks in Indianapolis.
Charissa Thompson
So clearly this television experiment, which launched August 30th, 2007, is starting to work. The first cable network dedicated to a single collegiate athletic conference is starting to catch on, but when you consider the level of play has seen much better days, you have to wonder why. The year before BTN launched, the conference’s premier rivalry Michigan-Ohio State, played an extremely hyped up #1 vs. #2 regular season finale. The talent level has been in free fall since. Today, the conference has only three teams ranked in the top 25, and only one- the Buckeyes are in the top ten. The SEC boasts 3 of the top 4, and 6 teams in the overall poll. The Big 12 has five in the AP top 25. Clearly, it’s not great football being played as the reason for all the new viewers.
BTN Women's Volleyball analyst Eilzabeth Moreau, in her Butler playing days
Another cause is the strong Midwestern affinity for college football. Today, most people first associate college football with the South, “Red-States,” and the SEC. (And now country music, since every network broadcasting college football integrates a well-known country artist into promoting their broadcasts these days) However, the Big Ten has three programs: Penn State, Michigan and Ohio State in the top 6 for victories all-time. Number 3 on that list is another school in the region, Notre Dame. So obviously the college gridiron is a way of life in the Upper Midwest, but I don’t think this fact tells the whole story.
The Network itself is rather new, and it took some time to be partnered properly with cable companies and distributed effectively into markets. The increased ratings are partially due to the network being in the midst of a product’s natural growth cycle. But I think another reason might offer a possible alternative explanation.
Lisa Cornwell, BTN women's show anchor
In the past year, the network has hired as much eye candy as it could find, which adds publicity. It’s reminiscent of ESPN’s Erin Andrews, and how anything she touches is a publicity machine. Leading the way is Charissa Thompson, who’s been called the next Erin Andrews, no doubt in partial thanks to the fact she wears “painted-on pants” about as often as EA. The extremely-tight-pants- wearing Thompson has gotten more national recognition than the rest of BTN’s sideline princesses because she’s done some national NFL work for Fox too. She’s also on an awful network program, “Friday Night Tailgate” where she’s paired with two frail and annoying geeks that we’re supposed to find charming and funny.
Placing her beside two nerds, (this week’s promo especially heightens this juxtaposition) is a rip-off of the premise behind pretty much every sitcom of the past 25 years. You know, the pathetic yet somewhat lovable doofus partnered with a woman who’s WAY OUT of his league on every dimension possible. The dorky writers’ fantasy created so many sitcoms (“World According to Jim” and “The King of Queens” being the most extreme) that cartoons like “Family Guy” and “The Simpsons” have gone to extreme lengths to exaggerate it.
Melanie Collins at work
There’s a quite a few other hotties on the network, but the only one which instantly screams egregious hire is newcomer Melanie Collins, a former bikini model who is easy-on-the-eyes, but far from good at broadcasting, reporting, and reading her lines. It’s a good bet that this is what the buzz surrounding Big Ten Network is all about- because it’s sure not about football. This fall hasn’t given us much reason to forget about last year’s 1-6 conference record in Bowl games.
(note: if you are watching the network, or reading this post solely to look at pretty girlies- then you should vote in the poll below)
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You could probably guess who I might have voted for…and certainly figure out who I did not vote for!
Howard Griffith of the 6 touchdown Game!
You should hardly be surprised by the pseudo hotties, The Big Ten Network is partially owned by Fox, who has corned the market on FNC. Their ratings aren’t purely ideological.
Megyn Kelly is a hottie…if Laurie Dhue is still on that network, she’s sexy too. Charissa’s show is probably my favorite show on BTN, the list show, top running backs of the 90s etc. but her FNT show is terrible
I have to disagree with the CEO.
I think you’re underestimating the popularity of Big Ten football within the Big Ten footprint. If the release has stated the BTN had the highest ratings in the nation, then I might believe this theory. But they’re just the highest ratings in the region.
Contrary to popular belief, Big Ten alums are passionate about their football, even if the teams aren’t that good. You also have to take into consideration that a lot of these games would not be on television were it not for the BTN. So fans used to not seeing their team on a consistent basis now have an outlet, even if it means watching Indiana get its butt kicked every week.
It’s also not a coincidence that the first time Michigan v. Michigan State is aired on BTN, they get their highest ratings. Aside from maybe Ohio, I imagine Michigan has the most diehard viewers (Michigan and Michigan State alums) of the states in the Big Ten footbprint.
Also, the ratings you use only apply to the football games. I seriously doubt that a game gets higher ratings because the sideline reporter is hot. In fact, the sideline reporter is only shown on TV during pregame, halftime and post game. Very rarely are they shown during the game. Notice how the release doesn’t mention the studios shows and how they performed in their time slots. It only talks about the football games.
I think the BTN’s growing success can be attributed to its basketball and Olympic sports coverage. Unlike football, a greater percentage of basketball games are on the BTN because the Big East and ACC dominate ESPN. This has to draw in a ton of viewers, who then stick around for the other shows on the network.
There is also coverage of the non-revenue sports. For many of these teams, this is the only coverage they get and the only chance for its fans to watch them. Alums are very proud of their school. Even if Joe Blow from Penn State doesn’t care about women’s volleyball, he might be interested in following Penn State’s team, which is a national power. The BTN allows him to do this.
The BTN isn’t perfect, but it’s a pretty cool place to follow your university’s athletic program, along with the revenue sports. While the BTN has clearly made some hires in order to attract mouth-breathing Neanderthal sport fans, I think the people in the Big Ten should be given credit for actually making this work for now.
Yes, disagreeing with the CEO- insubordination!! you’ll be on notice…no seriously, you make a lot of great points, especially the one about how sideline reporters are shown very little during the broadcast. And I agree with you that the network is taking off because it gives people an outlet they didnlt have before.
and that’s a very good thing. and obviously I’m really glad it exists as it is probably the channel I watch the most.
but for them to have their best viewership day during football season (notice I said best viewership day, not time slot) doesn’t make sense. Obviously I can tell why they had a high viewership time slot, but a whole day??
Because it’s a basketball conference now. the sec owns all the attendance records in the nation for football, the big 10 owns all the basketball records. and the league will be a lot stronger on the hardwood this year than on the gridiron.
I think Moreau does hoops too… I’ve seen her at UW basketball games…
Sorry to crash this thread with a technical question, but can you explain how to get an RSS feed for your comments?
sorry, don’t really know
Hey Leopard…
On the front page of the site there is a link to follow either the RSS feed for the comments or the content. You click on that link and from there I believe you should be able to figure it out. I think you want to click on “subscribe to this feed” in the comments one.
If that’s not it…I’m not really sure what to tell you. Hope this helps though.
Have to agree with H Jose Bosch. Yes, the sexy babes help. But people are tuning in because they are interested in regional football. If there was an SEC Network, the football ratings would be off the charts huge. But since they are kings, the cash a huge check from CBS and roll without their own network.
More people have access to Big Ten Network than before and more people are checking it out than ever before. A few years ago most people had to flip through the stations or check the listings to see what games were on. Now with digital cable and satellite, viewers can scan the channels in the morning and plan their viewing to see the games they want to see. This means less yard work getting done and more couch sitting. Just what they want!
so you agree about my natural life cycle of a product theory, the alternative theory I proposed…but can you answer this question for me…do you think all the BTN hotties share a dressing room in the studio? and shower together? andf then do naughty things with each other….I can only hope. Ever since those 2 Carolina Panthers cheerleaders were caught together in night club bathroom, anything is possible
It seems like business is still getting hit hard. Is anybody seeing an upswing in their respective niches? Health reform seems like a mess. I generate long term care insurance leads and annuity leads for the insurance industry, but volume has been terrible in the last two months. I am afraid the worst is yet to come, but maybe it is just my attitude.