Head-to-head with high profile games on ESPN and ABC, the Michigan/Notre Dame rivalry put in strong numbers on NBC.
NBC drew a 4.5 final rating and seven million viewers for Michigan’s win over Notre Dame Saturday afternoon, the network’s highest rated Notre Dame telecast since 2006 and most-viewed since 2005.
Compared to NBC’s second Notre Dame game last year — Michigan State/Notre Dame — Saturday’s telecast was up 67% in ratings and 75% in viewership from a 2.7 and 4.001 million.
Ratings and viewership also increased by 29% and 32%, respectively, from Michigan/Notre Dame in 2008 (3.5, 5.322 mil) and by 125% and 154%, respectively, from Michigan State/Notre Dame in 2007 (2.0, 2.754 mil). Those games were also the second of the season on NBC.
Saturday’s game ranks as the 12th-most viewed Notre Dame telecast ever on NBC, and the most-viewed to involve two unranked teams. The game also ranks as the most-viewed Michigan/Notre Dame game on NBC since 1994.
Of course, the rivalry between Michigan and Notre Dame has generated larger numbers over the past 16 years — including just last year, when the game drew a 5.2 and 8.391 million viewers on ABC.
Michigan/Notre Dame comfortably outdrew Saturday’s Miami/Ohio State tilt on ESPN (3.5, 5.752 mil), which aired at the same time. The game also drew a higher rating than Saturday night’s Penn State/Alabama game on ESPN (4.2).
Final ratings for Saturday afternoon’s Florida State/Oklahoma game on ABC were not immediately available, but that game drew a 2.1 overnight — making it highly unlikely that it will finish anywhere close to Michigan/Notre Dame.
