A record performance last year and below-average numbers this year resulted in major declines for ESPN in week two of the college football season.
Last Saturday’s Virginia Tech/Ohio State college football game drew a 2.6 U.S. rating and 4.3 million viewers on ESPN, down 51% in ratings and 50% in viewership from Notre Dame/Michigan last year (5.3, 8.7M) but up 44% and 50%, respectively, from Washington/LSU in 2012 (1.8, 2.9M).
Virginia Tech’s win was edged head-to-head by Michigan/Notre Dame on NBC (2.7, 4.6M). Both games were outdrawn by Michigan State/Oregon on FOX (3.5, 6.0M).
Earlier in the day, Mississippi/Vanderbilt drew a 0.7 and 1.1 million — down 84% in ratings and viewership from South Carolina/Georgia last year (4.3, 7.0M) and down 76% and 75%, respectively, from Florida/Texas A&M in an earlier window in 2012 (2.9, 4.5M).
The Noon ET game between Missouri and Toledo drew a 0.8 and 1.2 million, down 74% in ratings and 73% in viewership from Florida/Miami last year (3.1, 4.6M) and down 53% and 50%, respectively, from Auburn/Mississippi State in 2012 (1.7, 2.5M).
Keep in mind last year’s tripleheader resulted in record numbers for ESPN, which had its most-watched regular season college football Saturday ever.
In other week two action, last Friday’s Pittsburgh/Boston College game drew a 1.2 and 1.9 million viewers on ESPN — up 50% in ratings and 72% in viewership from Wake Forest/Boston College on ESPN2 last year (0.8, 1.1M). The Washington State/Nevada nightcap had a 0.8 and 1.2 million; there was no comparable window last year.
In addition, ESPNU had its most-watched college football Saturday ever (419K). The network topped out at a 0.5 and 976,000 viewers for ECU/South Carolina Saturday night.
(Week 2 numbers from Awful Announcing, ESPN Media Zone)
