Is college football doomed?

[ATL MU Warrior]

As someone that works on the agency side of the business, I can tell you that many clients are moving a lot of of money to the NFL.  My client (import auto) has had a substantial shift of Network budget (Local market too) out of traditional Primetime programming and into sports (90% NFL/College football with a little MLB playoffs mixed in).  It's where the *live* eyeballs are...without a doubt.  There is no trouble at all in the foreseeable future in terms of the ad-demand side of the equation.

[ChicosBailBonds]

As someone that works on the agency side of the business, I can tell you that many clients are moving a lot of of money to the NFL.  My client (import auto) has had a substantial shift of Network budget (Local market too) out of traditional Primetime programming and into sports (90% NFL/College football with a little MLB playoffs mixed in).  It's where the *live* eyeballs are...without a doubt.  There is no trouble at all in the foreseeable future in terms of the ad-demand side of the equation.

Yup, sports is the one guarantee of live viewing in an age with DVR, etc.  No question about it.

[Tugg Speedman]

And this is why the NFL is going to an 18 game season soon.  Too much money not too.  Question is will it dilute the product too much?  Time will tell.

[GGGG]

And this is why the NFL is going to an 18 game season soon.  Too much money not too.  Question is will it dilute the product too much?  Time will tell.

European soccer seasons run from mid-August through mid-May.  Some leagues run into June.  Most teams play about twice a week.

The NFL is a season that runs from early September to early February.

I don't think product dilution is a problem.  Especially when you consider the extension of the season would be in winter when people sit home and watch television.  Face it, for most sports people, post-Super Bowl is kind of a wasteland until March Madness starts up.  Then after that you have the Masters...NBA playoffs...and the start of MLB.

If the NFL season is extended to the end of February, the eyeballs will be there.

[ChicosBailBonds]

And this is why the NFL is going to an 18 game season soon.  Too much money not too.  Question is will it dilute the product too much?  Time will tell.

The 18 game schedule might happen, but it is hardly a done deal.  For those of us spending over $1 billion a year, yeah we would like to see more product but it doesn't necessarily have to be more regular season games.  Or it could mean less preseason games.  It could mean a lot of things.  It might dilute the product, definitely a possibility.   Still a long long way to go before this happens.

Personally, I don't particularly care.  I get more upset when we're plopping down $1 billion and then games are taken away and put on NFL Network, etc. 

[nyg]

Don't know if it is doomed, but that Johnny Manziel is some player and fun to watch. Through three quarters he has 412 yards of his team's 512 total offense. 

[Tugg Speedman]

The 18 game schedule might happen, but it is hardly a done deal.

Correct, the current thinking is 2 preseason and 18 regular season games.  No decision on expanding the playoffs.

The big sticking point is the players union.  The want contracts, pay scales and salary caps reworked peoportionally higher.  The also want expanded rosters.  All this has to be settled first and that is a lot of money.

That said, it probably will happen in a few years.

[Tugg Speedman]

As someone that works on the agency side of the business, I can tell you that many clients are moving a lot of of money to the NFL.  My client (import auto) has had a substantial shift of Network budget (Local market too) out of traditional Primetime programming and into sports (90% NFL/College football with a little MLB playoffs mixed in).  It's where the *live* eyeballs are...without a doubt.  There is no trouble at all in the foreseeable future in terms of the ad-demand side of the equation.

If the car salesmen are killing themselves to get in, this must be the peak!!

[ChicosBailBonds]

A pretty good read in the Wall Street Journal with an interview of Lou Holtz.  Talks about college football success, changes with Notre Dame, etc.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323297104578177202710048068.html?mod=djemEditorialPage_h