Deion Sanders is not only making Colorado the center of the sporting world, but he is changing the entire landscape of college sports for good. His back-to-back sold-out games have proved that Coach Prime’s legacy with the Buffaloes is bigger than anyone had ever thought. He brought in 9,300,000 viewers to his game against Colorado State which stretched two hours past midnight, which is massive on so many levels.
Advertisement
Colorado Buffs vs. Colorado State was certainly a rivalry matchup, but it proved to be much more significant and historic in the history of college football. The game started late and fans were certainly frustrated about it. However, the viewership for that game broke two big-time records and also showed the NFL that college football was capable of bringing in just as much attention as them.
Deion Sanders’ Colorado State Game Becomes Most Watched Late Night College Football Game Ever
Prime Effect is very much visible. He is not just making businesses flourish in Boulder but creating a massive shift in the market benefitting NCAA. Colin Cowherd, via The Herd, stated, “He [Deion Sanders] is not just moving college football fans. He’s bringing in fans with those numbers that did not watch college football. Probably NFL fans.”
Coach Prime’s ability to market his program through his son Deion Sanders Jr.’s media venture, ‘Well Off Media‘, has proven to be highly successful. He is able to connect to his fans in a way no other program has done ever before, and in turn, he creates storylines that fans would care to follow and react making him and the Buffs an internet sensation.
The NFL legend certainly knows how to play the game of football inside and outside the gridiron. This helped him create the most electric football community this season not just in Boulder but in every part of the nation. These all factors made his game against Jay Norvell’s Colorado State a must-watch and the exciting part of it was he delivered yet again in a phenomenal fashion.
Their game against Colorado State drew 9,300,000 viewers which is a huge feat in its own way. This game not only became the most-watched late-night college football game ever but also the most-watched game in ESPN history.
Prime Effect Takes College Sports To New Heights
After turning around a 1-11 team to a college football juggernaut, which is also a marketing machine, the Buffs have helped the community of Boulder make $18 million in revenue from their first home game. Furthermore, Coach Prime’s brand value helped an eyewear company make at least $4.5 million from just one small jab from a rival coach, not to mention the sold-out tickets for the entire season. So it takes no rocket science to conclude that Deion Sanders owns the college football turf in marketing and branding.
Joe Pompliano, in the latest episode of his podcast, mentioned that many believe that Coach Prime is making himself the center of attention when college football should be about the student-athletes. Pompliano states that this is a part of his strategy to lure more viewers since Prime, given his robust brand value can produce interesting storylines to create a buzz. This is exactly why the Buffaloes are way ahead of their game against other programs as they have a bold face to hype fans and the entire nation producing numbers similar to the NFL. If this isn’t the Prime Effect then what is?
