Two powerhouse college football programs gave ABC its highest overnight of the season for Saturday Night Football.
Miami’s upset victory over Oklahoma drew a 5.5 overnight rating on ABC Saturday night, up 53% from a 3.6 for comparable regional coverage last season, and the highest overnight of the season for Saturday Night Football.
Despite the strong numbers, the 5.5 is not the highest overnight of the season for college football on ABC, as an afternoon Notre Dame/Michigan game drew a 5.6 in September. That being said, the 5.5 does rank as the highest overnight for a prime time sporting event on ABC since Game 5 of the NBA Finals (9.4).
Earlier in the day, regional coverage featuring Florida State/Boston College drew a 2.8 overnight on ABC, down 20% from a 3.5 for comparable coverage last year.
The 2.8 marks the lowest overnight rating of the season for a college football telecast on ABC. Additionally, this is the first time all season that ABC has had a decline in overnight ratings for afternoon college football coverage.
