Despite competition from the NFL, ESPN managed strong numbers for its Thursday night game during week four of the college football season.
The September 18 Auburn/Kansas State college football game drew a 2.3 U.S. rating and 3.8 million viewers on ESPN, up 35% in ratings and 48% in viewership from Clemson/N.C. State last year (1.7, 2.6M) and the network’s top telecast in week four of the season. The game did well despite competition from the Buccaneers/Falcons NFL game on CBS and NFL Network (7.5, 11.9M).
In other week four action, ESPN drew a 2.1 and 3.5 million for Mississippi State/LSU Saturday night — down a tick in ratings and 9% in viewership from Auburn/LSU last year (2.2, 3.8M) and down 13% and 8%, respectively, from LSU/Auburn in 2012 (2.4, 3.8M). The Bulldogs’ upset win topped Oklahoma/West Virginia on FOX head-to-head (2.0, 3.2M)
Oregon/Washington State later in the night drew a 2.0 and 3.2 million, flat in ratings and up 5% in viewership from Arizona/Oregon two years ago (2.0, 3.0M). There was no comparable game last year.
Wrapping up the Saturday slate, the Noon ET Georgia Tech/Virginia Tech game drew a 2.1 and 3.1 million — up 24% in ratings and up 35% in viewership from North Carolina/Georgia Tech last year (1.7, 2.3M). Virginia/BYU later in the afternoon had a 1.0 and 1.6 million, down a tick and up 1%, respectively, from Arkansas/Rutgers last year (1.1, 1.6M).
The week’s top draw on ESPN2 was Miami/Nebraska on Saturday night, which had a 1.0 and 1.8 million viewers — down 38% in ratings and 35% in viewership from last year’s Colorado State/Alabama game (1.6, 2.8M). Iowa/Pittsburgh topped the charts on ESPNU with a 0.6 and 884,000, up a tick and 20%, respectively, from Marshall/Virginia Tech last year (0.5, 738K).
(Last week’s numbers from Awful Announcing)
