Ratings and viewership dropped for the SEC on CBS during the 2010 season.
CBS averaged a 4.2 rating and 6.944 million viewers for SEC coverage, down 5% in ratings and 1% in viewership from last year (4.4, 6.993 mil), but up 24% and 29%, respectively, from 2008 (3.4, 5.369 mil).
The averages do not include the December 11 Army/Navy game or Notre Dame/Navy on October 23.
Despite the declines, CBS’ SEC coverage was the highest rated, most-viewed college football package on any network, topping ABC (3.5, 5.578 mil) for the second-straight season.
This marks just the second time in the past twenty years that CBS has topped ABC.
CBS aired the season’s two most-viewed games on any network — Auburn/Alabama on Black Friday (12.520 mil) and the Auburn/South Carolina SEC title game (10.093 mil). Six of the season’s ten most-viewed games aired on CBS.
Eight of CBS’ fifteen SEC telecasts had declines in ratings and viewership compared to last year. Including the two aforementioned non-SEC telecasts, ten of the net’s seventeen telecasts had declines.
Ratings/Viewership For College Football on CBS During 2010 Season
Network’s average excludes Notre Dame/Navy and Army/Navy
*: Comparison is to last year’s primetime game, which aired one week later in the season.
^: Comparison is to Notre Dame/Navy on CBS in 2008.
| Date | Time | Game | Net | Rating | vs. ’09 | Viewers (000) | vs. ’09 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sat., 9/18/10 | 3:30 PM | #10 Florida 31 | CBS |
3.3
|
-23%
|
5,149
|
-22%
|
| Tennessee 17 | |||||||
| Sat., 9/25/10 | 3:30 PM | #1 Alabama 24 | CBS |
5.2
|
117%
|
8,148
|
123%
|
| #10 Arkansas 20 | |||||||
| Sat., 10/2/10 | 3:30 PM | Tennessee 14 | CBS |
2.6
|
-26%
|
4,089
|
-26%
|
| #12 LSU 16 | |||||||
| 8:00 PM* | #7 Florida 6 | CBS |
5.0
|
-18%
|
8,595
|
-18%
|
|
| #1 Alabama 31 | |||||||
| Sat., 10/9/10 | 3:30 PM | #1 Alabama 21 | CBS |
4.8
|
55%
|
7,662
|
56%
|
| #19 S. Car 35 | |||||||
| Sat., 10/16/10 | 3:30 PM | #12 Arkansas 43 | CBS |
2.9
|
-33%
|
4,516
|
-34%
|
| #7 Auburn 65 | |||||||
| Sat., 10/23/10 | 12 PM^ | Notre Dame 17 | CBS |
1.6
|
-16%
|
2,346
|
-12%
|
| Navy 35 | |||||||
| 3:30 PM | #6 LSU 17 | CBS |
4.5
|
25%
|
7,340
|
29%
|
|
| #4 Auburn 24 | |||||||
| Sat., 10/30/10 | 3:30 PM | Georgia 31 | CBS |
3.3
|
-25%
|
5,477
|
-21%
|
| Florida 34 | |||||||
| Sat., 11/6/10 | 3:30 PM | #6 Alabama 21 | CBS |
4.4
|
3%
|
7,208
|
7%
|
| #10 LSU 24 | |||||||
| Sat., 11/13/10 | 12 PM | Mississippi 14 | CBS |
1.8
|
-18%
|
2,835
|
-8%
|
| Tennessee 52 | |||||||
| 3:30 PM | Georgia 31 | CBS |
5.0
|
25%
|
8,262
|
30%
|
|
| #2 Auburn 49 | |||||||
| Sat., 11/20/10 | 3:30 PM | Mississippi 36 | CBS |
3.2
|
10%
|
5,017
|
13%
|
| #5 LSU 43 | |||||||
| Fri., 11/26/10 | 2:30 PM | #2 Auburn 28 | CBS |
7.3
|
49%
|
12,520
|
54%
|
| #11 Alabama 27 | |||||||
| Sat., 11/27/10 | 3:30 PM | #5 LSU 23 | CBS |
4.3
|
-9%
|
7,303
|
-3%
|
| #12 Arkansas 31 | |||||||
| Sat., 12/4/10 | 4 PM | #1 Auburn 56 | CBS |
6.0
|
-46%
|
10,093
|
-43%
|
| #19 S. Car 17 | |||||||
| Sat., 12/11/10 | 2:30 PM | Navy 31 | CBS |
3.3
|
-11%
|
4,925
|
-12%
|
| Army 17 |
(Season average from Sports Business Daily; CBS press release from Fang’s Bites)
