For the second time in three weeks, the “SEC on CBS” was the top draw of the college football weekend.
Saturday’s Georgia/LSU college football game earned a 4.9 overnight rating on CBS, up 75% from Tennessee/Georgia last year (2.8), and up 53% from Auburn/South Carolina in 2011 (3.2). The 4.9 is the fourth-highest of the season for college football on any network, trailing only Clemson/Georgia in Week 1 (5.0), Notre Dame/Michigan in Week 2 (5.6), and — of course — Alabama/Texas A&M in Week 3 (9.0).
Including Georgia/South Carolina in Week 2 (4.8), an SEC team has been involved in four of the five highest rated games of the season in the metered markets.
In other college football action on Saturday, ABC earned a 4.1 overnight for the Wisconsin/Ohio State “Saturday Night Football” game — up 58% from Wisconsin/Nebraska last year (2.6), and up 28% from Nebraska/Wisconsin in 2011 (3.2).
Regional action earlier in the day drew a 1.9 overnight on ABC, down 47% from Ohio State/Michigan State last year (3.6) and down 46% from regional action in 2011 (3.5). The network’s Noon ET South Carolina/Central Florida game had a 2.5 overnight; there was no comparable window last year.
Over on NBC, Oklahoma/Notre Dame drew a 2.8 overnight — up 17% from a primetime game against Miami last year (2.4), and up 133% from an afternoon matchup with Air Force in 2011 (1.2). Last year’s Notre Dame/Oklahoma game earned a much stronger 5.9 overnight on ABC opposite the World Series.
Again, FOX brought up the rear on broadcast. The network earned a mere 1.2 overnight for the Arizona/Washington game Saturday night, down 57% from Texas/Oklahoma State last year (2.8), and the lowest overnight ever for a primetime college football game on the network.
The previous low was set one week earlier by the Arizona State/Stanford game (1.3).
The top game of the weekend on cable, according to Sports Business Daily, was the Mississippi/Alabama telecast on ESPN (2.4).
(This year’s overnights from Sports Business Daily)
