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Delayed Bills Game Means Big Changes For CBS & TSN
The bad weather in Buffalo means what was sure to be the highest rated TV event in that city for the week won't take place for another 24 hours. The Steelers-Bills game will now happen on Monday afternoon at 4:30 PM, creating a big hole in the schedule. New York State officials decided the expected mountain of snow (1-2 feet is predicted) and wind would not only make for impossible playing conditions, but they didn't want an estimated 60-70,000 fans on the road coming to the game while Mother Nature is calling the plays.
So what's on WIVB instead? According to listings on zap2it.com, it appears they'll be replacing the Bills with the 2022 Bengals/Chiefs AFC championship game, originally played on Jan. 29th of last year. I can only imagine how few eyeballs that will attract if that listing is right.
It appears most TSN stations will feature the gold medal game from the IIHF Under 18 Women's Ice Hockey tournament in Switzerland. Which is a very different attraction. TSN's own website still lists the Bills game as being on Sunday at 1 PM on TSN 4, and the same goes for WIVB's site, so some decisions will obviously have to be made before then.
Luckily for CBS and the league, Monday happens to be Martin Luther King Day in the U.S., so there may be more viewers available on the holiday than if it were a regular workday. Although given the Bills fanbase, I suspect a lot of people would have called in sick on Monday or left work early in any case!
CBS forced into major broadcasting change which has huge effect on main channel after Bills vs Steelers is postponed
- mace
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Re: Delayed Bills Game Means Big Changes For CBS & TSN
I wonder if the game will be simsubbed by CTV or CTV2.. Local CBS affilliates can't be pleased. Loss of local ad revenue from syndicated programming and their 6pm newscasts. To give you an idea how important the 6pm newscast is, in the early days of Monday Night Football when Kickoff was at 9pm ET, KOMO in Seattle would tape delay the game one hour [except if the Seahawks were playing] so the station could run their evening newscast.
- RadioActive
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Re: Delayed Bills Game Means Big Changes For CBS & TSN
Whatever they're planning, the original game was scheduled for 1 PM Sunday, so it won't be interrupting their news, and because football was already scheduled, I doubt there's any infomercial time being lost. But the Sunday numbers for WIVB almost certainly won't be as big as if the Bills were there.
They'll make up for it on Monday, I'm sure.
If the current listing is right and they're showing a year old game, I can't imagine it will attract anyone.
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Thread Starter- paterson1
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Re: Delayed Bills Game Means Big Changes For CBS & TSN
Don't know if the current situation in Buffalo compares to last year's huge storm. 47 people died late December/January one year ago from the snow and cold, some people stuck on the expressway perished. So rightly the NFL is being cautious to avoid having a potential disaster on their hands.
- RadioActive
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Re: Delayed Bills Game Means Big Changes For CBS & TSN
Just checked WIVB. And yes, it is the playoff game recorded on Jan. 29th, 2023. I guess it's hard to replace three and a half hours of airtime at the last minute. I have to wonder what the ratings for this might be and if there are make goods going to sponsors.
On the plus side, if you can find someone who doesn't know it's a repeat, I suppose you could make a bet on the final score and really clean up!
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Thread Starter- RadioActive
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Re: Delayed Bills Game Means Big Changes For CBS & TSN
One last update: CTV seems to have replaced the old NFL game with a sci fi movie of some kind. My DVR guide indicates NFL Football was supposed to be on in the slot, so they've chosen not to take the rerun.
The same listings do not show CTV airing the rescheduled Bills contest on Monday, but I can't imagine they wouldn't if they have access to it.
What a mess this has caused for the networks involved.
Meanwhile, on the radio side, WBEN-AM was airing special storm coverage, with Tom Bauerle and David Bellavia in for a rare Sunday show.
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Thread Starter- paterson1
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Re: Delayed Bills Game Means Big Changes For CBS & TSN
CTV and TSN 3 and 5 have both the Buffalo/Pittsburgh and Philly/Tampa Bay wildcards tomorrow afternoon and evening.
- Saul
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Re: Delayed Bills Game Means Big Changes For CBS & TSN
I enjoyed a Bills game (despite the loss to Denver) from an aluminum bench in the stadium's upper reaches when temps were hovering around the freezing mark. But I sure as hell wouldn't go to a game in this weather. Then again the free booze flowing at the tailgate party prior to the game would have ... ah, never mind...
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Re: Delayed Bills Game Means Big Changes For CBS & TSN
I figured CTV would pick it up. They've already sold that time, so it only makes sense. Does this mean all their newscasts from 5 to 7 PM will end up on CP24?
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