In the world of American football, under the guidance of Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, the Colorado Buffaloes continue to hold a significant presence in Boulder. However, on a national level, they may not be making quite the impact they did in years past.
According to John Ourand in his recent Puck newsletter, Anthony Crupi of Sportico unveiled some concerning audience figures for Colorado’s first three games of the 2024 season. The numbers, unfortunately, show a decline of 51 percent overall.
The average viewership for the Buffaloes’ first three games this year stands at 4.56 million, a stark comparison to the 9.35 million average viewership during the initial three contests the previous year. The most telling comparison can be seen in the latest game. Last season, the Colorado-Colorado State matchup drew in 9.3 million viewers on ESPN. In contrast, this year’s game only brought in 3.25 million on CBS Sports Network, marking a significant 65-percent decrease.
The decline in viewership comes as no shock to many. Coach Prime was the talk of the town last year at this time, making a splash by leaving Jackson State and joining Colorado, a program with a longstanding reputation.
There is hope that once the Buffaloes start winning, the numbers will turn around. Their upcoming Big 12 game against Baylor this Saturday will be broadcasted on Fox. Only two more games after that are currently slated for a national audience—October 26 versus Cincinnati on one of the Disney networks and November 29 against Oklahoma State on ABC.
It all comes down to winning. The true test will come as Colorado shifts its focus to conference play following their 2-1 start. Only time will tell if they can rise to the occasion and captivate a larger audience once again.
