College football got off to a shockingly poor start over the holiday weekend, as the overnights plummeted from last year’s numbers. Ratings for games on ABC and NBC were down by more than a third from last year.
ABC drew a 2.1 overnight for its 3:30 PM telecast on Saturday, down 45% from a 3.8 last year, and down 42% from a 3.6 overnight in 2005. The premiere of Saturday Night Football, between Tennessee and California, drew a 3.7 overnight, down 36% from last year’s 5.8 for Notre Dame/Georgia Tech. The game drew a paltry 1.6 rating among adults 18-49, down an eye-opening 47% from a 3.0 last year. College Football Countdown also saw a major drop from last year, falling 44% from a 1.8 overnight in 2006 to a 1.0 overnight this year.
The 2.9 weekend average for ABC college football coverage is off a whopping 40% from the 4.8 average for the opening weekend last year.
ABC was not alone in drawing substantial declines for its college football telecasts. NBC also saw major declines, as Georgia Tech/Notre Dame drew a 3.0 rating, down 38% from the 4.8 overnight for NBC’s first Notre Dame game of last season.
The final round of the Deutsche Bank Championship on NBC beat every college football game over the holiday weekend, scoring a 4.0 on Labor Day.
