Bucs-Chiefs Game Was TV Ratings Winner For WFLA, Jon Gruden
August 26th, 2026
The numbers are in on Saturday’s Bucs-Chiefs preseason broadast in the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Sarasota television market.
And it seems Jon Gruden was a major attraction.
Speaking on The Rondé Barber Show today, co-host JB Biunno reported “the ratings [were] through the roof” for the game, which was broadcast on WFLA-TV, the same network that streams Barber’s show.
Filling in for longtime Buccaneers preseason TV play-by-play guy alongside Barber was Gruden, the Bucs’ Super Bowl–winning coach 23 1/2 years ago.
“A quarter-million people watched on WFLA-TV, a quarter-million adults over the age of 18,” Biunno said. “This is the fifth-most watched preseason game in the last 10 years, Bucs preseason game on WFLA, Ch. 8.”
Barber sounded like a proud parent.
“We made it work,” Barber said. “It was fun.”
Joe wonders if Team Glazer and/or WFLA will try to sign Gruden to call at least one Bucs preseason game next year. That would seem to be the smart play. Joe would alert potential advertisers on a future Gruden-Barber broadcast that JoeBucsFan is a far less expensive way to reach “a quarter-million people.”
August 26th, 2026 at 4:42 pm
Gruden was supposed to be play-by-play guy, we knew that wasn’t happening, Ronde had to pick up that slack, it was like two analysts going all over the place……..didn’t like Gruden AT ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26th, 2026 at 4:55 pm
It was an awkward watch, but it was preseason so does anyone reeeeeaaalllyyy care?
August 26th, 2026 at 5:13 pm
I enjoyed it. It was 2 guys who know way more about football than I do, talking about the game in real time. Does TV really need a play by play guy anyway? It’s not like radio. We can actually SEE what’s happening. Just saying. 😁
August 26th, 2026 at 5:20 pm
I thought Gruden carried Barber. Especially early, Barber was mumbling, stumbling, bumbling. Still enjoyed it. GO BUCS!!!
August 26th, 2026 at 5:21 pm
I’d say that it had a lot more to do with the Chiefs being in town and the Saturday Night game-time, than it did with anything else. Most casual fans had absolutely no clue about WHO was ‘calling’ that game.
Seriously, I bet you could’ve gone all around Tampa Bay before that game and hardly NO ONE would’ve known about it. After being told, they would’ve been like, “Really… Well, That’s Cool.” Most people are not following THAT closely.
August 26th, 2026 at 5:59 pm
If anything, we need more chunky
August 26th, 2026 at 6:00 pm
Lmao also chucky
August 26th, 2026 at 6:03 pm
“Casual fans” (i.e. chicks wearing Chris Godwin jerseys on Fridays at their paralegal gigs before they head out to Meat Market) would have no idea who the Bucs were playing and wouldn’t be able to name two Chiefs players outside of Travis Swift.
Bucs fans knew Chucky was coming back.
August 26th, 2026 at 6:10 pm
Just add him to the broadcast team. Two homers are better than one.
August 26th, 2026 at 7:14 pm
I enjoyed it. The flip of the play by play to Ronde’ was interesting, barely. I agree that a play by play guy isn’t really needed in the preseason game, especially since nobody can seem to keep up with all the substitutions. I did pick up some interesting perspectives out of the flood of cliches, with both Ronde’ and Chucky sharing some tidbits.
August 26th, 2026 at 7:15 pm
Who cares about “casual fans”!!!
August 26th, 2026 at 7:29 pm
Gruden’s good in the booth. I enjoyed him asking Mayfield point blank about his contract situation. It was clear that Baker wasn’t expecting it – and Gruden isn’t someone that can be easily dismissed or ignored.
August 26th, 2026 at 7:35 pm
Two Super Bowl Champions calling the Bucs game, you can’t beat that. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Go Bucs !! Beat the Jaguars!!
August 26th, 2026 at 7:42 pm
You guys are missing it (including Joe). They were there to see >>>>>BAIN!!
August 26th, 2026 at 8:21 pm
I enjoyed it until the interviews. Tuned in to watch football.
That said… I’m all for Chucky being our next OC.
August 26th, 2026 at 8:23 pm
Yeah, proves what I’ve been saying for decades, Chris Meyers shouldn’t be anywhere near an NFL announcing booth. The guy is so cringe and boring, I can’t hit mute fast enough.
August 26th, 2026 at 8:28 pm
It was great to hear Gruden in the booth again.
August 26th, 2026 at 8:33 pm
It was because of Gruden we all love him, period, I blame the big dog for running him outta town.
August 26th, 2026 at 8:35 pm
Ronde is always awkward with his stuttering and misspeaking (almost certainly the only reason he’ll never got a national booth job imo, assuming he wants one), but he did so way less often in the booth with Gruden. Was more natural and less awkward than usual.
August 26th, 2026 at 8:51 pm
I agree that normally with high production values, I could do without a play by play guy.
Would have been useful in this game because they kept showing the wrong down.
Barber had to set them straight more than once. 🤦
August 26th, 2026 at 10:51 pm
Most interesting preseason broadcast I’ve seen in ages. Bravo to whomever decided to put them together!
August 26th, 2026 at 10:57 pm
Hunter Says:
August 26th, 2026 at 8:35 pm
Ronde is always awkward with his stuttering and misspeaking (almost certainly the only reason he’ll never got a national booth job imo, assuming he wants one), but he did so way less often in the booth with Gruden. Was more natural and less awkward than usual.
——–
And who is Ronde always stuck in the booth with? Chris Meyers.
You try sitting next to that dullard for 3-hours and not have it affect you negatively.
August 27th, 2026 at 6:12 am
Mikadeemas Says:
“”Barber was mumbling, stumbling, bumbling. Still enjoyed it.”
.
.
Yeah, I think the Barber-as-a-play-by-play-guy experiment is over. I wish they had stuck to the original plan.
August 27th, 2026 at 7:55 am
Agree with those who said Ronde struggled, but it was a role outside his comfort zone so I am proud of him for putting it out there…and encourage him to keep trying new things that challenge himself. He (and, to a lesser extent, Tiki) are gregarious and made for TV (the irony is that the better one *isn’t* in the NY market).
This concept of how this event would potentially break the mold of how games have been called since the 1970s is a bit hyperbolic; The ManningCast basically does the same thing in the most PrimeTime of PrimeTime events, MNF. Sure, it’s not the “main” broadcast, but the schtick isn’t dissimilar. The difference is that the Mannings don’t pretend one of them should do any play-by-play.
One of the Joes (I *know* who, but calling them by name on this site in comments is always redacted…even though they name themselves on Ira’s podcast and their radio show????) mentioned it before, but I like the idea of Gruden and Barber mixing it up and then tossing it down to Warren on the sidelines for insider info. That would be must-watch.