Trump/RNC want to change debate dates - UPDATE: CPD says no changes

[Attorney General, LGC Speaker, and Former PPT Dwarven Dragon]

http://www.politico.com/story/2016/07/debates-reince-priebus-donald-trump-226480

So far, all he's requesting is that the Oct. 4th and Oct. 19th debates be rescheduled to avoid overlapping NFL games.

[Devout Centrist]

"Trump used Whine! But nothing happened..."

[Ebsy]

The debate commission is not going to change the debate dates.

[Xing]

Honestly, it's not unreasonable to request that debates don't overlap with NFL games. If anything, that would mean more people will watch them.

[Ronnie]

Honestly, it's not unreasonable to request that debates don't overlap with NFL games. If anything, that would mean more people will watch them.

Yeah, I agree.  One of the few times I've agreed with Trump on something.

[ProudModerate2]

Honestly, it's not unreasonable to request that debates don't overlap with NFL games. If anything, that would mean more people will watch them.

Yeah, I agree.  One of the few times I've agreed with Trump on something.

The concern with an overlap with NFL games  (Sunday) I can understand.
But I question if you can get more of an audience during the week, vs the weekend.
People work during the week, some work at night, some come home and are too tired or busy with home chores & family (kids) .... so maybe the weekend will have a bigger chance for a larger viewership.
Maybe Saturday would be OK, but not Sundays ?
Just throwing it all out there, I'm not certain on any of this.

[Ebsy]

Debates every cycle overlap with NFL games.

[Likely Voter]

You must be logged in to read this quote.

http://www.politico.com/blogs/on-media/2016/07/commission-on-presidential-debates-responds-to-donald-trump-226484

[Likely Voter]

Clinton campaign chair weighs in...

You must be logged in to read this quote.

[#TheShadowyAbyss]

The debates need to hurry up and get here so I can watch Trump implode

[Joe Biden is your president. Deal with it.]

What happens if he drops out and says something like "we're going to win so big we're going to win the states of FL,OH and PA so I'll be withdrawing from the debates to focus on them" I bet they will do like a townhall thing with Hillary.

[Seriously?]

Honestly, it's not unreasonable to request that debates don't overlap with NFL games. If anything, that would mean more people will watch them.

Yeah, I agree.  One of the few times I've agreed with Trump on something.

The concern with an overlap with NFL games  (Sunday) I can understand.
But I question if you can get more of an audience during the week, vs the weekend.
People work during the week, some work at night, some come home and are too tired or busy with home chores & family (kids) .... so maybe the weekend will have a bigger chance for a larger viewership.
Maybe Saturday would be OK, but not Sundays ?
Just throwing it all out there, I'm not certain on any of this.

The highest audiences for TV probably are as follows: Thursday, Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, Tuesday, Friday, Saturday.

The NFL now has games on Sunday, Monday and Thursday every week.

Saturday is the worst TV day of the week for ratings. You'll see reruns on those days of shows run earlier in the week. Friday night is also bad for ratings.

That realistically leaves you with Tuesday or Wednesday. Both are middling days for TV ratings.

Sunday is a great TV day, but a debate up against Giants-Packers on NBC will definitely cut into the audience.

Monday is probably the third-best TV day on the schedule. But that debate is up against Falcons-Saints (a Southeast rivalry). That game is on cable (ESPN) though, not ABC or an assignee, except in New Orleans and Atlanta per NFL rules.

The ideal day where TV viewership is highest is Thursday, but that's also now an NFL day all season long except for the final week of the season (Week 17). Roughly the first half of the season (Weeks 2-7) is on CBS now. Weeks 8-10 are on cable (NFL Network). I believe NBC has the Thursday opener in Week 1 and Weeks 11-16.

[Thomas D]

Debates every cycle overlap with NFL games.

This. Won't there be MLB playoffs on those dates he suggested? There's no point of changing the dates, and this is just part of Trump's plan to chicken out of the debates.

This.  Until we get to the World Series there won't be a day in October that doesn't have an NFL or MLB playoff game.

[Likely Voter]

Trump seems to be implying that Hillary will benefit from lower viewership so he is basically saying he is going to win and he wants as many people as possible to see him do it.  This is not the best way to start the expectations game.

[Wells]

I'm glad they didn't change the debates. FF move. If Trump takes issue with dates set by a bipartisan commission 18 months ago, then he's just delusional.

[Badger]

Honestly, it's not unreasonable to request that debates don't overlap with NFL games. If anything, that would mean more people will watch them.

Yeah, I agree.  One of the few times I've agreed with Trump on something.

[cMac36]

It's usually the candidate in the lead who acts like this.. Trump must not be confident of debating skills.  I expect Clinton would beat him in any debate. It is a tricky decision for him.  How does he win without favorable debate performance considering the track he is on now??

[cMac36]

Or maybe he is religious and wants not   debate on a Sunday?  haha

Doesn't want to offend Jesus (our Lord)

[Sprouts Farmers Market ✘]

I mean, the game is Giants-Packers. That's a pretty big deal. Not sure why people wouldn't be tuning in for that, and I barely watch that sport.

[Seriously?]

Debates every cycle overlap with NFL games.

This. Won't there be MLB playoffs on those dates he suggested? There's no point of changing the dates, and this is just part of Trump's plan to chicken out of the debates.

This.  Until we get to the World Series there won't be a day in October that doesn't have an NFL or MLB playoff game.

Correct, but most of the baseball playoffs are on cable. The ratings are nowhere near the NFLs, even for World Series games.

The NLCS is on Fox, but even some of that is split with FoxSports 1 nowadays. The World Series is exclusively on Fox. The rest of the games are on ESPN, the TBS/TNT family, FoxSports 1 or the MLB Network.

[cMac36]

In seriousness Sunday is big TV night.  Perhaps Trump can work to black the game out in swing state of Wisconsin.  All they must do is not sell out   Trump can pay people not to go to the game so it's blacked out.  New York does notmatter.  Or did Congress change the law?  May someone tell me,  Thanks.

[ProudModerate2]

Honestly, it's not unreasonable to request that debates don't overlap with NFL games. If anything, that would mean more people will watch them.

Yeah, I agree.  One of the few times I've agreed with Trump on something.

The concern with an overlap with NFL games  (Sunday) I can understand.
But I question if you can get more of an audience during the week, vs the weekend.
People work during the week, some work at night, some come home and are too tired or busy with home chores & family (kids) .... so maybe the weekend will have a bigger chance for a larger viewership.
Maybe Saturday would be OK, but not Sundays ?
Just throwing it all out there, I'm not certain on any of this.

Sunday is a great TV day, but a debate up against Giants-Packers on NBC will definitely cut into the audience.

Oh wow.
I didn't know it was a Giants vs Packers match-up.
That would definitely not be good.

[PeteB]

No, that is NOT a good reason to change debate times.

This whole election was managed by the media and the Trump campaign as a reality show, with the "audience" responding in kind (i.e. Voting for their favorite survivor/apprentice/bachelorette). Changing debate times over a sports broadcast would just reinforce that notion.

[/]

Why don't they just change the NFL game dates? I mean seriously, I think it's pretty clear that one matters more than the other.

[Thomas D]

The 3rd debate in 2012 was on a Monday, FWIW