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NFL games taking over Thursday nights on CBS

By WTOP Staff

RACHEL COHEN
AP Sports Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — “The Big Bang Theory” is one of the few television shows that can approach the NFL in viewership. CBS executives still didn’t hesitate to temporarily move TV’s top-rated comedy to a different night to make room for football.

Already dominating Thursdays in prime time, CBS outbid its competitors when the league offered up games that had aired on NFL Network.

“The highest priority for this corporation at that time was acquiring ‘Thursday Night Football,'” CBS Sports Chair Sean McManus said Monday.

Thursdays conjure up memories of “Must See TV.” But viewers’ habits are now very different from the NBC heyday of “The Cosby Show” or “Friends.”

So many more options abound: cable, Netflix, DVRs, on-demand. Viewers can fast-forward through ads or avoid them entirely.

According to Nielsen, premiere episodes of “The Big Bang Theory” during the last TV season averaged a total of 23 million viewers over seven days — by that measure, even more than “Sunday Night Football.”

But only 13.5 million watched live, compared with 20.9 million for the NFL games on NBC.

On Thursdays, that’s especially problematic to advertisers, said Jack Myers, the chairman of media industry intelligence firm MyersBizNet. Thursdays brimmed with top shows because consumers are starting to think about their weekends: which movies they’ll attend, which big-ticket items they’ll buy, which restaurants they’ll patronize.

So “The Big Bang Theory” will anchor Monday nights while CBS broadcasts NFL games on Thursdays for seven weeks. CBS’s regular Thursday lineup won’t premiere until Oct. 30.

“They’re not going to risk losing audience, that show is so hot,” said Marc Berman of TV Media Insights. In the meantime, “The Big Bang Theory” can help boost CBS’s Monday lineup.

CBS averaged 8.3 million live viewers in prime time on Thursdays last fall, according to Nielsen. That’s 2.8 million more than second-place ABC.

It seemed to need the Thursday night NFL package the least, but the last thing CBS wanted was to fall behind another network that added football’s massive audiences.

The NFL first proved it could lure viewers in prime time when “Monday Night Football” debuted on ABC in 1970. But in April 2005, ABC decided it could no longer afford the package. The games switched to sister network ESPN.

At the same time, the Sunday night package shifted from cable to NBC.

Much has changed since ABC made that decision. During the 2004 season, NFL games on ABC, CBS and Fox averaged 15.4 million viewers; prime-time shows on the big four networks averaged 9.8 million. By 2013, the NFL on CBS, Fox and NBC was up to 20.3 million, while prime time was down to 7 million. In less than a decade, football’s advantage soared from 57 percent to 190 percent.

“We’ve only gotten more valuable on broadcast,” said Brian Rolapp, the chief operating officer of NFL Media.

In 2011, “Sunday Night Football” became the first sports program to rank as the most-watched show in all of prime time. And last season, it became the first to rank No. 1 among women ages 18-49.

NBC Sports Group Chair Mark Lazarus compares the NFL to another event that draws families together in front of the TV, the Olympics — able to overcome what he describes as a “headphone nation.”

The league first added Thursday night games in 2006 on NFL Network, looking to increase distribution and viewership for its fledgling cable channel. With that accomplished, the next goal was to convince more fans to consider Thursday the start of the football weekend.

Last season, an average of 8.1 million viewers watched the 13 Thursday games. There are 16 games in the package this year, with every team taking part.

The NFL wanted to put them on one of the traditional broadcast networks to reach the widest audience possible. As other sports have migrated to cable, the league still simulcasts games on ESPN and NFL Network on local channels for the two teams.

At the same time, Rolapp expects the CBS deal will only help NFL Network.

CBS will air the first seven weeks, with simulcasts on NFL Network. NFL Network will broadcast the next seven, with CBS still overseeing the production and its lead announcing team of Jim Nantz and Phil Simms handling the calls.

On Saturday, Dec. 20, the two networks will split a doubleheader.

The CBS deal is for only one year, with the next set of negotiations with networks likely including expanded NFL playoffs. Expect bids to come again from Fox, NBC — and ABC.

For ESPN, the success of “Monday Night Football” is measured not just in ratings; it averaged 13.7 million viewers last season. With its NFL deal, it can fill its airwaves with football coverage 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, said senior vice president Burke Magnus.

And ESPN will air playoff games for the first time this season.

But if the NFL is offering a package of games for broadcast TV, ABC wants to get back in the game, too.

During the Television Critics Association summer press tour last month, CBS Corp. Chairman Leslie Moonves drily noted that many of the new shows being promoted will be long gone by next year.

No such worries with the NFL.

“This is a sure thing,” he said.

___

AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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