It was not the greatest of weekends for college football on ABC, as each game of the network’s tripleheader declined double-digits from last year.
Last week’s Notre Dame/Michigan State “Saturday Night Football” game drew a 3.2 final rating and 4.977 million viewers on ABC, down 45% in ratings and 47% in viewership from Oklahoma/Florida State last year (5.8, 9.307M), and down 32% and 34%, respectively, from coverage that included Notre Dame/Michigan State in 2010 (4.7, 7.528M).
The telecast faced competition from USC/Stanford on FOX (2.5, 3.856M) and Florida/Tennessee on ESPN (3.1, 5.076M).
Earlier in the day, regional action featuring either Navy/Penn State or North Carolina/Louisville drew an unusually low 1.9 and 2.704 million viewers — down 39% in ratings and 38% in viewership from coverage featuring Texas/UCLA last year (2.8, 4.355M), and down 27% and 35%, respectively, from coverage featuring Nebraska/Washington in 2010 (2.6, 4.159M).
Only two ABC telecasts all of last season drew a lower rating than Saturday’s 1.9.
The first game of the tripleheader, between California and Ohio State, earned a 2.7 and 3.839 million viewers — down 13% in ratings and viewership from Auburn/Clemson last year (3.1, 4.410M). There was no Noon ET window in 2010.
(Saturday’s numbers from ESPN, Sports Business Daily)
