ACC Media Rights - Viewership by School

 

ACC Media Rights - Viewership by School

ACC Media Rights - Viewership by School

Wahoowa84 

I tallied Sports Media Watch football viewership data for the past 4 years (2017-2020). Ranking each power 5 school by four criteria:
1) # viewers (home, away & neutral site games, including bowls)
2) average # viewers per game (home, away & neutral site games, including bowls)
3) # of viewers for home venue (what the conference sells as Media Rights)
4) average # viewers for home venue (what the conference sells as Media Rights)

In order of ACC media value:

Clemson (#9 P5 rank; 31% of viewership of ACC teams; 16% of ACC's T1 & T2 media rights viewership)
Miami (#18; 12%; 11%)
FSU (#19; 9%; 10%)
VT (#29; 7%; 7%)
Louisville (#30; 6%; 8%)
UNC (#39; 5%; 7%)
Pitt (#41; 5%; 5%)
GT (#42; 4%; 6%)
BC (#43; 4%; 6%)
Syracuse (#46; 4%; 4%)
UVA (#54; 4%; 3%)
Wake (#55; 4%; 4%)
NC State (#56; 4%; 4%)
Duke (#62; 3%; 2%)

The P5 schools ranked ahead of Clemson in terms of viewership are: Alabama, Ohio State, Michigan, Georgia, LSU, Auburn, Notre Dame and Oklahoma.

The P5 schools ranked below Duke in terms of viewership are: Rutgers, Kansas and Oregon State.

Unfortunately, Tobacco Road is where football viewership struggles.

In order of SEC media value:

Alabama (#1 P5 rank; 23% of viewership of SEC teams; 16% of SEC's T1 & T2 media rights viewership)
Georgia (#4; 16%; 10%)
LSU (#5; 13%; 11%)
Auburn (#6; 10%; 11%)
Florida (#9; 9%; 10%)
TAMU (#14; 6%; 6%)
Tenn (#17; 4%; 6%)
SC (#20; 3%; 4%)
Miss St (#21; 4%; 5%)
Ole Miss (#32; 3%; 4%)
Ark (#33; 2%; 3%)
UK (#38; 2%; 1%)
Mizz (#52; 2%; 2%)
Vandy (#53; 1%; 2%)

For perspective, viewership for SEC conference media rights was more than double the viewership of the ACC. In addition, the SEC championship game was 9% of the SEC media rights (versus 8% for the ACC).

When you control for actual viewership you can see the correlation to good teams and good ratings.

2018 - Gator Bowl TAMU 5.14M - NC State ranked about 21, TAMU around 26
2017 - Clemson - 2.83M - NC State ranked about 20, Clemson 6
2020 - Gator Bowl Kentucky - 2.71 M NC State with 8 win season
2019 - Clemson - 2.71 - Clemson running toward national title
2017 - ND 2.65 M - NC State ranked 14, ND 9
2017- Sun Bowl Arizona State - 2.2 M 9-4 NC State team
2017 - Florida State - 2.06 M - FSU ranked 12th (the begin of their last slide)
2020 - Miami - 1.87 M - Miami ranked 11 and NC State ranked 26-27
2018 - Clemson 1.87 M - Clemson ranked 3 and NC State ranked 16
2017 - BC 1.71 - An ABC Game in an NC State 9-4 season
2017 - Louisville - 1,549 same as above

FSU has had a worse overall 4-year record than NC State, UNC, UVA, Wake or Duke (when has that ever occurred?). ESPN televised 15 out of 25 games played at Doak-Campbell Stadium with an average viewership of 2.1M per game. Games at Doak-Campbell are just worth more to ESPN because more fans watch FSU...even when they are not that good.