ESPN's Lost TV Ad Money Mounting Due To Canceled Bowl Games

The "financial toll of canceled college bowl games continues to mount for ESPN," according to Bill Shea of THE ATHLETIC. At least an estimated $21.7M in TV ad revenue alone "has been lost" from the canceled bowls, based on "last year's spending data provided by Chicago-based Standard Media Index that tracks ad spending." The bowl ad revenue estimates are "based on the 2019-20 season ad totals, according to Standard Media Index's calculations." If there "had been upticks in ad rates, the losses in revenue could be a bit higher." The "costliest bowl cancellation so far is the Pinstripe Bowl" -- the scheduled game at Yankee Stadium on Dec. 29 and airing on ESPN had $3.1M in ads last season. ESPN Events owns and operates 17 bowls, eight of which have been canceled; the Montgomery Bowl was created as a one-time event this year. CBS and Fox also "had a small number of canceled bowls," but the combined ad revenue loss is "expected to be just over" $2M (THEATHLETIC.com, 12/22).

GASPARILLA BOWL LATEST TO GO: In Tampa, Matt Baker reports the South Carolina-UAB Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl set to be played Saturday at Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium “has been canceled after organizers could not find a replacement team” for the Gamecocks. USC was forced to withdraw from the bowl after AD Ray Tanner stated COVID and contact tracing “has taken a toll too high for us to overcome.” ESPN Events, which owns and operates the game, “tried to find another opponent” for UAB but did not find one (TAMPA BAY TIMES, 12/22). The following chart lists the bowls canceled so far this season, with an asterisk denoting the games owned and operated by ESPN Events.

Download the Canceled Bowl Games