With a National Championship berth on the line, the SEC Championship Game finished as one of the highest rated sports programs of 2008.
Florida’s win over Alabama drew a 9.3 final rating and 15.1 million viewers on CBS last Saturday, making the game the highest rated, most viewed college football game of the season. The 9.3 rating marks a 58% increase from a 5.9 for last year’s SEC title game between LSU and Tennessee.
The game is the highest rated SEC Championship Game to ever air on CBS. The highest rated SEC Championship Game overall was the 1994 game between the same two teams, which drew a 10.5/26.
The 9.3 rating surpasses the ratings for last season’s Sugar, Orange and Fiesta Bowls, and is the third highest college football rating of the calendar year. The 9.3 is on par with the average rating of the 2008 NBA Finals and surpasses the final round of The Masters (8.6), horse racing’s Kentucky Derby (8.9) and Belmont Stakes (9.0), and the average for the World Series (8.4).
Overall, the SEC Championship Game finishes as the 8th highest rated sporting event of 2008, excluding NFL and Olympics telecasts.
Highest rated non-NFL/Olympic sporting events in 2008.
14.4: BCS Nat’l Championship Game, LSU def. Ohio St. (Mon., 1/8, 8 PM FOX)
12.1: NCAAB Nat’l Championship Gm., KU def. Memphis (Mon., 4/7, 9 PM CBS)
11.1: Rose Bowl, USC def. Illinois (Tue., 1/1, 5 PM ABC)
10.7: NBA Finals Game 6, Celtics def. Lakers (Tue., 6/17, 9 PM ABC)
10.2: Daytona 500 on FOX (Sun., 2/17, 2 PM FOX)
10.2: NBA Finals Game 5, Lakers def. Celtics (Sun., 6/15, 9 PM ABC)
9.6: World Series Game 5, Rays/Philles (Mon., 10/27 and Wed., 10/29, FOX)
9.3: SEC Championship Game on CBS, Florida/Alabama (Sat., 12/6, 4 PM CBS)
9.3: World Series Game 4, Rays/Phillies (Sun., 10/26, 8 PM FOX)
9.2: World Series Game 1, Phillies/Rays (Wed., 10/22, 8 PM FOX)
9.2: NBA Finals Game 3, Celtics/Lakers (Tue., 6/10, 9 PM ABC)
