The season premiere of ABC’s “Saturday Night Football” hit a seven-year high in viewership last weekend.
Saturday’s Clemson/Georgia college football game drew a 4.8 final rating and 8.1 million viewers on ABC, flat in ratings and up 3% in viewership from Michigan/Alabama last year (4.8, 7.9M), and up 4% and 5%, respectively, from Oregon/LSU in 2011 (4.6, 7.8M).
Clemson/Georgia ranks as the most-viewed season opener of “Saturday Night Football” since the inaugural game between Notre Dame and Georgia Tech in 2006 (5.4, 8.6M).
Not surprisingly, the game was also the top college football telecast of week one — finishing well ahead of second-place Alabama/Virginia Tech on ESPN (3.0, 5.2M).
Regional action earlier in the day drew a 2.4 final rating and 3.7 million viewers, up a tick in ratings and 6% in viewership from last year (2.3, 3.5M), and up 9% and 8%, respectively, from 2011 (2.2, 3.4M).
Overall, ABC’s doubleheader averaged 5.9 million viewers — up 5% over 5.7 million last year.
(Sat. numbers from ESPN Media Zone)
