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Why This Post-Super Bowl Was The Most Unusual In Almost 30 Years
This is the first Super Bowl in 29 years that has not been used to either launch a promising new show on a network or follow the big contest with an existing hit, usually to giant ratings. Instead, NBC filled the coveted post-game slot with the Olympics.
Over the years, the Super Bowl has traditionally been the place where the host network slots its best show, often garnering a rating nearly impossible at any other time of the season. I remember when ABC used it to show the first ever episode of the original "The Wonder Years," which went on to become a classic. Then there was NBC's broadcast of a special Friends episode, that had numbers through the roof.
CTV is following the tradition, giving a huge boost to its new "Children Ruin Everything." It will likely result in the highest numbers the series will ever get, regardless of how it does in its regular timeslot.
As the linked article points out, it's a departure from tradition that NBC not only knew about, but actually forced to happen. Definitely an unusual tactic for the post-SB slot and it's hard to say if it will ever happen quite this way again.
Why NBC Is Breaking from Post-Super Bowl Tradition in 2022
List of Past SB U.S. Lead-Out Shows
List Of Past SB Cdn. Shows
- Tomas Barlow
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Re: Why This Post-Super Bowl Was The Most Unusual In Almost 30 Years
It's a clever move. These Olympics aren't doing that well and with the heavy promotion NBC gave them tonight it may give the Olympics a boost.
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Re: Why This Post-Super Bowl Was The Most Unusual In Almost 30 Years
Streaming has definitely changed the game - and I don't mean football. There's not the same impetus to tune into whatever they put there now like there used to be. In the old days, if you missed it, it would take months for one of the "very special episodes" to be rerun. Now it's on one of the streaming services the next day. No need to stay up late or sit through all those endless commercials, when it will be easier to watch it whenever you want.
I don't think the era of the post-Super Bowl ratings grab is over. But it certainly will never be what it once was. Not that they won't stop trying.
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Thread Starter- mace
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Re: Why This Post-Super Bowl Was The Most Unusual In Almost 30 Years
Those lead in shows are misleading for the early years. The first eleven Superbowls kicked off anywhere between 1pm and 3:30 PM. #12, 14, 15, 17, 19, 21 and 22 had 6/6:30pm starts mostly because of the west coast factor. #25 was the first 6pm start with game being played in an eastern time zone city [Tampa Bay]
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Re: Why This Post-Super Bowl Was The Most Unusual In Almost 30 Years
I was referring to the prime time editions of the SB.
Still, I'm not sure if NBC did the right thing.
I could be wrong, but it just seems to me that viewers who are avid football fans (and likely well lubricated ones) may not be sticking around to watch ice dancing. Just a hunch but if they were to use that time to expose viewers to a heavily promoed new series the host network is high on, it might have done them a bigger favour.
We'll never know, of course, but the over the air networks never get a bigger audience than on that one Sunday. It will be interesting to see what follows the game next year when it goes to another network.
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Thread Starter- mace
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Re: Why This Post-Super Bowl Was The Most Unusual In Almost 30 Years
Showbuzz Daily should have all the Sunday primetime numbers by timeslot tomorrow.
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Re: Why This Post-Super Bowl Was The Most Unusual In Almost 30 Years
According to Showbuzz Daily, Superbowl 56 drew 99.1M viewers [not including streaming] The post game show had 54M viewers. Olympic coverage that began at 10:24pm, 21.27M.
- Radiowiz
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Re: Why This Post-Super Bowl Was The Most Unusual In Almost 30 Years
It is just a bit odd that Olympics is more important than the return of Law & Order.
I suppose if this wasn't an Olympic year, NBC would have gone with that instead of making us all wait until February 24th...
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Re: Why This Post-Super Bowl Was The Most Unusual In Almost 30 Years
Actually, the post-Super Bowl hour is often devoted to a new show that a network hopes to get a lot of publicity for. In NBC's case, that may be "The Endgame," a major drama it's launching next Monday. It's about a criminal mastermind playing a cat and mouse gambit with an FBI agent.
Not my cup of tea, but the kind of high-quality drama that OTA networks like to promote. You could be right about L&O's return. But I suspect that will do well on its own, especially since Thursday will be the all-Law & Order night on NBC from now on. It's already getting a ton of attention. The Endgame not so much.
It's a moot point, I suppose. The Olympics saw a huge drop-off from football, which is to be expected. But it still did well. It will be interesting to see what next year's network (it's Fox, I think) stunts with when it's their turn.
The Endgame
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