The return of live sports to TV has "resulted in lower-than-expected viewership," but college football "could serve as a refill" in terms of TV sports inventory and opportunities for make-goods, according to Tim Peterson of DIGIDAY. Not only does college football's staggered return "avoid adding to the current glut of live sports that is likely cannibalizing viewership," but it also has the potential to "plug the viewership and inventory gap once the current sports overload abates." The higher viewership numbers of the NFL as well as the NBA and NHL playoffs "increase supply, and the MLB playoffs should further add to the mix when they start" tomorrow. But agency execs "don't believe that the higher viewership that the NBA Finals and MLB playoffs are likely to attract will be enough to make up for the mounting volume of viewership shortfalls." Some TV nets have "already been able to provide make-goods to advertisers," but there are "questions as to what extent advertisers can expect to receive make-goods" for college football games. TV nets "may have sold most of their football inventory to satisfy the pent-up advertiser demand since sports went on hiatus in the spring." Finally, this being '20, there is the "necessary caveat that the situation could change" (DIGIDAY.com, 9/25).
