National TV Brings Free Advertising to Tulane
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May 8, 2003
NEW ORLEANS, La. - Tulane University athletic events have been televised nationally 41 times in the last five years, bringing over 80 hours of essentially free national advertising to the University.
Over the last five years, Tulane has had 11 games broadcast by ESPN, 16 by ESPN2, 12 by Fox Sports Net and one televised live by ABC. In addition, the Green Wave is in on the cutting edge of sports broadcasting as its baseball game with LSU from the Superdome was aired throughout the nation by College Sports Television, a new network making fast in-roads in the market.
The average dollar-value for a 30-second spot on ESPN2 is $4,000. A 30-second commercial during an ESPN college basketball game is available at a charge of $10,000. While ESPN does not offer two-hour segments during prime-time or weekend viewing hours, when the bulk of these games were broadcast, hypothetically speaking, two hours of air time could be valued at nearly $1 million.
While these numbers measure the advertising value of the air-time for a national television game, they do not take into account the re-broadcast of the games or the international exposure potential. For instance, numerous Tulane athletics events air on ESPN Classic, a network which airs athletic events from the past. In addition, Tulane's Christmas Day Football Bowl Game in 2002 was not just aired in the United States, it was aired throughout Europe as well, giving the Green Wave and its University invaluable international exposure.
While national television exposure is the most valuable to a university and its athletic programs, regional television broadcasts and even radio broadcasts also raise name-recognition. Over the last five years, Tulane has had numerous athletic events televised in the New Orleans and Louisiana areas, but it has also had games aired in the markets of other teams. In men's basketball alone, Tulane has had 18 regionally-televised games in the past two seasons.
When taking into account radio broadcasts, every Tulane football and men's basketball game over the last five years has been aired on the radio in the greater-New Orleans area, as well as in the markets of the opponent school. Over the last five years of Green Wave football, radio broadcasts have put the "Tulane" name into 20 different markets, from New York City to Salt Lake City, Utah.
In addition to men's basketball and football, the expanding interest in sports has brought nightly radio coverage to women's basketball and baseball games. Tulane has broadcast nearly all of its games in those sports to the New Orleans region in the past five years; and opponent schools have upgraded their broadcast efforts as well, once again sending the Tulane name throughout the country for hours at a time.
Tulane's strong athletic programs, coupled with the national-name recognition of its academic programs, has enabled the Green Wave to schedule opponents throughout the country. While national television games reach the nation in one swipe, the combined effect of all of Tulane's athletic events enable the Green Wave to receive repeated promotion throughout the country.
