One year away from a hiatus, the Notre Dame/Michigan rivalry earned its highest television rating since resuming in 2002.
The penultimate meeting between Notre Dame and Michigan earned a 5.3 U.S. rating and 8.7 million viewers on ESPN Saturday night, up 194% in ratings and 200% in viewership from Washington/LSU last year (1.8, 2.9M), and up 18% and 15%, respectively, from Notre Dame/Michigan in 2011 (4.5, 7.5M).
The game ranks as the highest rated and most-viewed Notre Dame/Michigan game since the rivalry resumed in 2002. The previous highs were a 5.2 and 8.4 million for the 2009 game on ABC.
Saturday’s game also ranks as the most-viewed regular season college football telecast on ESPN since Boise State/Virginia Tech on Labor Day 2010 (9.9M).
Overall, the game ranks as the fourth-most viewed regular season college football game ever on ESPN, trailing only Miami/Florida State on Labor Day 2006 (9.1M), Boise State/Virginia Tech, and USC/Ohio State in September 2009 (10.6M).
Final Ratings For Notre Dame/Michigan Games
Since rivalry resumed in 2002
(Sat. numbers from ESPN Media Zone)
