Say What You Want About The Cowboys, But They Bring The Ratings
Friday, December 19, 2008
From the first airing of NFL Live over the Summer, the talk at ESPN has been the Cowboys and Brett Favre. Now it's easy to bash on a network that seems to have an agenda, but after looking over this Nielsen article on Dallas, I've come to understand even more why ESPN shoves things down our collective throat.
The Dallas Cowboys bring viewers. Plain and simple. Whether it's the soap opera nature of the team, or whether they're winning or losing a lot, people just can't get enough. So much so that both ESPN and NBC set record numbers for games that the Cowboys played in this season. Via Nielsen...
NFL games airing in primetime are breaking records this season, and they share one common denominator: the Dallas Cowboys.Even on this site, I probably rely on the Cowboys' drawing power too much at times (much like Erin Andrews in the past), and while I understand ESPN's need for ratings, it just seems like overkill most of the time. It's a tough act to balance and don't envy the people who try to pull it off.
First it was the thrilling September 15th matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles on ESPN’s Monday Night Football. The Cowboys prevailed in a 41-37 shootout watched by 18.6 million viewers, the most ever for a cable program.
Then on Sunday, the Cowboys scored another television record, defeating the New York Giants in front of 23 million viewers on NBC - the most-watched game in the network’s three year history broadcasting Sunday Night Football. And which team played in each of the next two most highly rated SNF games this season? The Cowboys, of course.
Love them or hate them, Tony Romo, Terrell Owens, and their traveling football soap opera are delivering huge audiences for the networks this season. NBC’s SNF and ESPN’s MNF viewership are up 4.3% and 4.1 % respectively compared to the same time period last year, thanks in part to the power of the Cowboys’ national brand.
Cowboys Star in Primetime Ratings, NFL Network Builds Its Audience (Nielsen)
Mike & Mike On Guiding Light Tomorrow
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Awhile back I told you that Mike and Mike were going to appear on Guiding Light sometime in the future and the future is now! Or tomorrow rather, but I have your first look at their epic performance (you might have to turn the speakers up for this one).
"So wait guys...their wives left them for each other and this mean lady hits them with a drink tray? Brilliant."- Producer
The episode airs on CBS tomorrow at 3pm, so set your TIVOs!
(Thanks to reader BM for the vid)
Another Analyst Is Going To Be On A Soap Opera
Thursday, October 04, 2007
What is the deal with all of these people going on Soap Operas? Mark Schlereth, Stephen A. Smith, and the Brewers are a few of the more recent ones. Well now you can add an announcer and former Super Bowl MVP to that list....
That's right Giants' Fans your Super Bowl XXI Hero......Phillip Martin Simms!
Phil Simms, former quarterback for the New York Giants and analyst on "NFL on CBS," will make a guest appearance as himself on AS THE WORLD TURNS, Monday, Oct. 8 (check local listings) on the CBS Television Network. Katie (Terri Colombino) and Brad (Austin Peck) bring Simms to surprise J.J. (Daniel Manche) at WOAK, Oakdale's television station.Oooh sounds kooky, but I think Stephen A. Smith's role as a cop will go down as being better than Phil Simms playing himself on ATWT.
(Source: CBS Press Release)
Tiki to the Today Show?
Thursday, January 18, 2007
Well it seems as likely as anything else at this point. Yesterday NBC cut the Soap Opera Passions (RIP Timmy) to add an extra hour to the Today Show, and now it appears that they are courting Tiki to join the show.
Who will be front and center during the fourth hour has yet to be determined but Capus confirmed that the network has reached out to retired New York Giants running back Tiki Barber, who has proven himself an adept broadcaster through appearances on Fox News Channel and ESPN."We'd love to have him," said Capus. "He's obviously enormously talented."
Apparently the new Fourth Hour will look a lot like the Third Hour and be much lighter. I of course never watch the Today Show, so I have no idea how this will play out. NBC seems to have the desire and funds to attract Tiki. With Tony back in the MNF booth it looks like this might be the direction he's heading.
