Ratings held steady for college football on ABC during the 2011 regular season.
ABC averaged 3.5 rating for college football coverage this season, even with last year (3.5) and down 10% from 2009 (3.9).
The network’s season concluded with a December 4 tripleheader.
The first game — the #24 Southern Miss/#6 Houston Conference USA Championship Game — was the only bright spot of the day. Southern Miss’ upset win earned a 3.1 final rating and 4.397 million viewers — up 72% in ratings and 75% in viewership from last year (WVU/RUT: 1.8, 2.515M), but down 34% and 35%, respectively, from 2009 (CIN/PIT: 4.7, 6.741M).
Later in the day, #22 Texas/#17 Baylor drew a 2.3 and 3.259 million viewers, down 45% in ratings and 51% in viewership from last year (ORE/ORST: 4.2, 6.615M), but up 5% and 3%, respectively, from 2009 (ARI/USC: 2.2, 3.180M).
In the nightcap, #3 Oklahoma State’s blowout win over #10 Oklahoma earned a 3.6 and 5.898 million viewers, down 32% in ratings and 34% in viewership from last year’s Big 12 Championship Game (OKLA/NEB: 5.3, 8.981M), and down 52% and 54%, respectively, from the 2009 Big 12 Championship Game (TEX/NEB: 7.5, 12.693M).
ABC’s top game of the season was the November 19 edition of Saturday Night Football, featuring either USC/#4 Oregon or #5 Oklahoma/#22 Baylor (6.1, 9.744M). The network’s season low came less than a week later, with the November 25 tilt between Boston College and Miami (1.4, 2.103M).
Ratings/Viewership For College Football on ABC
During the 2011 regular season
|
WK #
|
Date
|
Time
|
Game
|
Net
|
Rating
|
Viewers (000)
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1
|
Sat., 9/3/11 | 3:30 PM | Regional | ABC |
2.2
|
3,409
|
| 8 PM | ORE 27, LSU 40 | ABC |
4.6
|
7,751
|
||
|
2
|
Sat., 9/10/11 | 3:30 PM | ALA 27, PSU 11 | ABC |
3.9
|
6,083
|
|
3
|
Sat., 9/17/11 | 12 PM | AUB 21, CLE 38 | ABC |
3.1
|
4,410
|
| 3:30 PM | Regional | ABC |
2.8
|
4,355
|
||
| 8 PM | OKLA 23, FSU 13 | ABC |
5.8
|
9,307
|
||
|
4
|
Sat., 9/24/11 | 12 PM | ND 15, PIT 12 | ABC |
3.1
|
4,322
|
| 3:30 PM | Regional | ABC |
3.4
|
5,301
|
||
| 8 PM | LSU 47, WVU 21 | ABC |
4.1
|
6,503
|
||
|
5
|
Sat., 10/1/11 | 3:30 PM | Regional | ABC |
3.6
|
5,472
|
| 8 PM | NEB 17, WISC 48 | ABC |
3.5
|
5,753
|
||
|
6
|
Sat., 10/8/11 | 12 PM | OKLA 55, TEX 17 | ABC |
4.3
|
6,533
|
| 3:30 PM | Regional | ABC |
3.5
|
5,367
|
||
| 8 PM | OSU 27, NEB 34 | ABC |
3.6
|
5,639
|
||
|
7
|
Sat., 10/15/11 | 3:30 PM | OKST 38, TEX 26 | ABC |
3.8
|
5,587
|
|
8
|
Sat., 10/22/11 | 3:30 PM | Regional | ABC |
2.2
|
3,491
|
| 8 PM | Regional | ABC |
2.1
|
3,453
|
||
|
9
|
Sat., 10/29/11 | 3:30 PM | Regional | ABC |
2.7
|
4,420
|
| 8 PM | Regional | ABC |
5.3
|
8,426
|
||
|
10
|
Sat., 11/5/11 | 3:30 PM | Regional | ABC |
4.2
|
6,502
|
| 8 PM | Regional | ABC |
1.8
|
3,058
|
||
|
11
|
Sat., 11/12/11 | 12 PM | Regional | ABC |
1.5
|
2,397
|
| 3:30 PM | Regional | ABC |
3.5
|
5,525
|
||
| 8 PM | ORE 53, STAN 30 | ABC |
5.4
|
8,726
|
||
|
12
|
Sat., 11/19/11 | 3:30 PM | Regional | ABC |
4.5
|
6,791
|
| 8 PM | Regional | ABC |
6.1
|
9,744
|
||
|
13
|
Fri., 11/25/11 | 12 PM | IOWA 7, NEB 20 | ABC |
2.7
|
4,259
|
| 3:30 PM | BC 24, MIA 17 | ABC |
1.4
|
2,103
|
||
| Sat., 11/26/11 | 12 PM | OSU 34, MICH 40 | ABC |
5.1
|
7,958
|
|
| 3:30 PM | Regional | ABC |
2.8
|
4,539
|
||
| 8 PM | ND 14, STAN 28 | ABC |
3.9
|
6,158
|
||
|
14
|
Sat., 12/3/11 | 12 PM | USM 49, HOU 28 | ABC |
3.1
|
4,397
|
| 3:30 PM | TEX 24, BAY 48 | ABC |
2.3
|
3,259
|
||
| 8 PM | OKLA 10, OKST 44 | ABC |
3.6
|
5,898
|
(December 4 numbers from Media Life Magazine; season average from CBS Sports press release via Fang’s Bites)
