TV Ratings for NCAA Championships
- Thread starter jmadden1998
- Start date
They have determined that allowing non stop stalling is exciting to the fans. Maybe they will rethink that blunder. Nope, they are not smart enough.
If I I understand this correctly, I wasn’t included in the tally because I watched solely on my computer so I could control the matches I watched. Surely there are lots of us in this category.
Wrestling isn't exciting to sports fans, it's not the rules. I have hardcore PSU alums that only watch football. Causal Pa. fans who watch PSU football. Your average sports does not tune in. Wrestling fans tune in. The only thing my wife noticed was Mrs. Lee break her glasses, other than that she played a game on her phone.
Wrestling just doesn't appeal to regular and casual sports fans.
For some reason I went into a full blown period of grieving early in the semi finals. I shut the TV off and listened to Ironside the rest of the tournament while sucking my thumb!
Same, except I just followed scores until later in the tourney.
This is just the finals on Saturday night.
There's a reason pro wrestling went the entertainment route. Actual wrestling only appeals to those that understand the grit and determination involved with it, and those that appreciate the athletes putting it on the line. They need to continue to make it more accessible to the actual wrestling fans. If you want to try to appeal to a wider audience, you need to do more personality profiles on the wrestlers themselves that make them more likeable or more hated to give the non-fan motivation to tune in. UFC had the same issues, but then created the reality show "The Ultimate Fighter" and suddenly guys peeing on each other's pillows made the casual viewer start to tune in and care about the fighters. Trying to draw the non-fan into wrestling itself will never work because they won't understand the appeal.
Picture it, "Iowa City Nightlife" on MTV featuring the Ferrari family. "Bringing the Shore and More". People would watch that and either hate them or love them and then might tune in to see them wrestle their matches to cheer them or cheer against them.
I heard a baseball fan say something similar about their new pitch clock and rules designed to shorten the games. He said something along the lines, of "they keep changing things at the suggestion of non-fans to try to make them watch, but they're never going to watch no matter what they change because they aren't fans."
Picture it, "Iowa City Nightlife" on MTV featuring the Ferrari family. "Bringing the Shore and More". People would watch that and either hate them or love them and then might tune in to see them wrestle their matches to cheer them or cheer against them.
I heard a baseball fan say something similar about their new pitch clock and rules designed to shorten the games. He said something along the lines, of "they keep changing things at the suggestion of non-fans to try to make them watch, but they're never going to watch no matter what they change because they aren't fans."
I heard a baseball fan say something similar about their new pitch clock and rules designed to shorten the games. He said something along the lines, of "they keep changing things at the suggestion of non-fans to try to make them watch, but they're never going to watch no matter what they change because they aren't fans."
You are so right about this, even with PSU's recent success I don't think there are many more PSU wrestling fans, unless they're young wrestlers who really weren't around 12-15 years ago.
As for the shorten games thing, BS, they can sell less adds. I've been to baseball games since 1973 and they were never this long unless we had extra innings. But you probably knew this.
You are so right about this, even with PSU's recent success I don't think there are many more PSU wrestling fans, unless they're young wrestlers who really weren't around 12-15 years ago.
As for the shorten games thing, BS, they can sell less adds. I've been to baseball games since 1973 and they were never this long unless we had extra innings. But you probably knew this.
It's extremely dumb we choose to put the NCAA wrestling tournament the same weekend as the first weekend of March Madness. Why would you want to compete with the 2nd biggest sporting event of the year? The only worse time to do it would be during the Super Bowl. Such an easy fix
I have two friends who I might message during matches, my son doesn't really watch anymore, he's pretty busy with work. So here I am in Pa. watching wrestling by myself. The audience for wrestling seems to be former wrestlers, parents of wrestlers, and combat sports fans. I really don't see much of a way to expand it.
I watched each session, but was never called. So, add by 1 the numbers reported here
I was a Nielsen family once, I had to fill out this log book, it was years ago btw. I think they have some way to measure their audience with all the other options, but either way. We might love wrestling, but it is a niche sport.
The year Oklahoma State and PSU were close in the finals I almost got into a fight with a guy over changing one TV from the NCAA basketball tournament. I hate basketball but a lot more guys seem to watch that.
After Spencer lost, I couldn't bring myself to turn it back on. When the team race is decided, and guys wrestle defensively with the hopes of getting the lone takedown of the match, it just isn't entertaining. I'm a pretty hardcore fan, but I'm getting bored with the current entertainment product.
I am sure that I'm not alone.
I am sure that I'm not alone.
Another thought that has been raised before:
Why is wrestling trying to compete with basketball? March Madness is considered by many to be the best weekend in sports. Outside of MLB and the Masters, April is WIDE open. Push the season back 1 month, and try to attract the casual fan, but first make the product more appealing.
Why is wrestling trying to compete with basketball? March Madness is considered by many to be the best weekend in sports. Outside of MLB and the Masters, April is WIDE open. Push the season back 1 month, and try to attract the casual fan, but first make the product more appealing.
A lot of people pointing to competing with March Madness, not interesting to most sports fans, etc. but those have been factors for decades and if you look at the chart in the original post numbers have been steady for the last 10 years. The question is what caused them to drop so dramatically from 2022??
Ncaa may have have a "Olympic wrestling" moment before they figure it out.
Nobody wanted to watch that crap anymore either. It took a death blow for them to make necessary changes.
Playing the edge, stall riding, repeatedly getting to a 4 count on top before immediately moving up. (After the first count the next attempt to move down should be an automatic warning)
The product needs to change. 4 pt NF was fantastic, need more changes to promote scoring and activity.
Nobody wanted to watch that crap anymore either. It took a death blow for them to make necessary changes.
Playing the edge, stall riding, repeatedly getting to a 4 count on top before immediately moving up. (After the first count the next attempt to move down should be an automatic warning)
The product needs to change. 4 pt NF was fantastic, need more changes to promote scoring and activity.
I generally agree but April you have final 4 then the masters. I say bump it up 1 week, I would definitely watch over the conference bball tournaments where Iowa is usually done by Thurs or Friday. It pisses me off they make fans like me choose since each tourney is a lot to process on their own
March madness is an awful way to determine a champion but it's great TV which is why it's the spectacle it is and many consider it almost a holiday. Competing with that head to head is just dumb
Having the team champion be almost a foregone conclusion doesn't help at all either. The sport needs Iowa and other programs to be contending more consistently
Don't blame the Penn State basketball fans, they were looking for reasons to turn away from that game.
I assume it’s a TV thing. ESPN does not have the NCAA basketball tournament rights. In order to compete, the best thing they can do is put on a high-profile sports event with an extremely loyal fan base that is more or less mutually exclusive from basketball. At this time of year, that’s wrestling. Just my guess.
1st post: clickbait
2nd post: doubling down on clickbait
3rd post: walk it back
Then sit back and let the cesspool do its thing.
Well done Madden89.
2nd post: doubling down on clickbait
3rd post: walk it back
Then sit back and let the cesspool do its thing.
Well done Madden89.
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I'm not ready to go that far. I remember the days of Jeff Blatnik and 2 week tape delays and showing 2 minutes of a match.
And I sure as hell don't want to see the ncaa tournament, brought to you by Rofkin streaming.
Announcers aside, PSU fellating aside, Quint Kessenick aside espn has provided wrestling fans with full access to the tournament and I am grateful for that.
However, the product is damaged but nor irreparable. I am on board with moving the ship to the week after The Masters. Make the necessary changes and hopefully viewership will increase.
Wrestling … like gymnastics … meaning - either you like it or you don’t. LSU women averaged 12,000 fans per home meet … other schools look like they compete in middle school gymnasiums …
Iowa wrestling … 14,000 + … but tune into some other Big 10/non Big 10 schools and wrestling rates up there with lacrosse.
I love Iowa wrestling - and it’s only behind Iowa football as far as my fandom… Even in my own “Hawk” family no other family members are invested in Hawkeye wrestling as I am… My other half will passively watch a match - especially when Spencer was wrestling - but maybe that was only because she needed to devote 1-2 minutes of her time 😜
Iowa wrestling … 14,000 + … but tune into some other Big 10/non Big 10 schools and wrestling rates up there with lacrosse.
I love Iowa wrestling - and it’s only behind Iowa football as far as my fandom… Even in my own “Hawk” family no other family members are invested in Hawkeye wrestling as I am… My other half will passively watch a match - especially when Spencer was wrestling - but maybe that was only because she needed to devote 1-2 minutes of her time 😜
I think
I would argue that the finals were really quite good. Honestly one of the better finals sessions recently.
I thought about turning it off. But I'm glad I didn't. Really thought they wrestled well following Lee's loss.
I would argue that the finals were really quite good. Honestly one of the better finals sessions recently.
Doesn't help TV ratings when the dominant program(Penn State) also had their men's basketball team playing in the NCAA tourney for the 1st time in 12 years at the exact same time as the Finals. With the team title locked up before Noon that day, I'm sure there was a fair contingent of PSU fans that decided to watch the basketball game versus wrestling.
This.
If Iowa or Oklahoma State were winning the NCAA tourney, I wonder if these figures would be any better. Probably not.
Because they weren't really wrestling fans, but overall PSU fans?
Yes, when your a PSU fan and your choice was 1) watch your men's basketball team play in the NCAA tournament for the first time in 12 years or 2) Watch the finals in wrestling even though PSU already wrapped up the team title, I'm sure there were a decent amount of PSU fans that decided on option #1.
If you’re a PSU basketball fan you got to watch your team get eliminated then you switch over and watch RBY almost get majored. Rough night.
I'll never understand all the wrestling fans who have to throw jabs at fans who also like other sports besides wrestling as if it's complete devotion to wrestling or nothing. It's weird, I don't know any other sports like that
Those numbers are disappointing.
Think of all the fans who missed out on learning the racial history of Tulsa!
ESPN does a good job of allowing me to pick a mat and watch it. But so does Flo. And IAHSAA. But the repetitive racial narrative was odd. Turned to my non-wrestling fan buddy like wtf? He said it’s all day everyday on espn. I wouldn’t know as I only watch wrestling and NCAA football on that channel. 15 years ago I watched their whole lineup.
Think of all the fans who missed out on learning the racial history of Tulsa!
ESPN does a good job of allowing me to pick a mat and watch it. But so does Flo. And IAHSAA. But the repetitive racial narrative was odd. Turned to my non-wrestling fan buddy like wtf? He said it’s all day everyday on espn. I wouldn’t know as I only watch wrestling and NCAA football on that channel. 15 years ago I watched their whole lineup.
Maybe it’s the product on the mat for the down numbers? The product is something I’ve complained about for a couple years now. Check out the total match points at NCAA’s since 4pt NF was introduced. Stats are from Andy Hamilton.
2023 - 5617
2022 - 6138
2021 - 6470
2019 - 6796
2018 - 6731
2017 - 6625
2016 - 6395
Football: High powered offenses who sling the ball all over the field
Basketball: Who can shoot the most threes and take advantage of fast breaks
Baseball: All about the long ball
Wrestling: Lets rub heads in neutral and then see who can ride each other the longest
2023 - 5617
2022 - 6138
2021 - 6470
2019 - 6796
2018 - 6731
2017 - 6625
2016 - 6395
Football: High powered offenses who sling the ball all over the field
Basketball: Who can shoot the most threes and take advantage of fast breaks
Baseball: All about the long ball
Wrestling: Lets rub heads in neutral and then see who can ride each other the longest
Could college wrestling benefit from a docudrama like F1 Drive to Survive? Follow around 3-4 major programs Iowa, psu, Cornell) a couple middle of the pack (isu, unc) and a couple small schools (Rider, Lehigh). For the season and tourneys. Behind the scenes look.
Similar to what Iowa just put out.
I was barely a causal fan until 2016 but then something just clicked for me and I haven’t missed a match in years as long as it’s on btn espn or one of their streams. Shoot, I even watch acc and big 12 tourneys every year now.
Similar to what Iowa just put out.
I was barely a causal fan until 2016 but then something just clicked for me and I haven’t missed a match in years as long as it’s on btn espn or one of their streams. Shoot, I even watch acc and big 12 tourneys every year now.
I would say it was probably 3 factors that made the numbers as bad as they were.
1. Spencer Lee losing in the semis probably kept a ton of casual Iowa fans from tuning in. That and Woods being the second to last match, many probably didn’t want to commit to watching.
2. PSU basketball game at the same time and them having the title wrapped up.
3. Other than a handful of guys, wrestling is pretty boring. Those scoring numbers above are pretty disappointing to see. I think college wrestling needs to be reinvented a little bit, as many have said. Otherwise just scrap folkstyle and have them wrestle freestyle.
It’s too bad because I too thought it was one of the better finals in awhile. It’s unfortunate that 2 big events killed the numbers.
1. Spencer Lee losing in the semis probably kept a ton of casual Iowa fans from tuning in. That and Woods being the second to last match, many probably didn’t want to commit to watching.
2. PSU basketball game at the same time and them having the title wrapped up.
3. Other than a handful of guys, wrestling is pretty boring. Those scoring numbers above are pretty disappointing to see. I think college wrestling needs to be reinvented a little bit, as many have said. Otherwise just scrap folkstyle and have them wrestle freestyle.
It’s too bad because I too thought it was one of the better finals in awhile. It’s unfortunate that 2 big events killed the numbers.
