A packed college football Saturday generated increases in ratings on ESPN.
Last Saturday’s Kansas State/Oklahoma game drew a 2.3 final rating and 3.4 million viewers on ESPN, flat in ratings and up 1% in viewership from South Carolina/Tennessee last year (2.3, 3.4M) but down 18% and 19%, respectively, from LSU/Texas A&M in 2012 (2.8, 4.2M). The Wildcats’ upset win was the top game of the week on cable.
Later in the afternoon, Michigan State/Indiana drew a 1.4 and 2.2 million — up a tick in ratings and 11% in viewership from Oklahoma/Kansas last year (1.3, 2.0M). There was no comparable game in 2012.
The primetime Tennessee/Mississippi game drew a 1.6 and 2.7 million, up 14% in ratings and 16% in viewership from Alabama/Arkansas last year (1.4, 2.3M) but down 36% in both measures from Alabama/Tennessee in 2012 (2.5, 4.2M). Rounding out the quadrupleheader, Stanford/Arizona State drew a 0.9 and 1.3 million in the late night window.
The weeknight games did not perform as well. Fresno State/Boise State last Friday night drew a 1.0 and 1.6 million on ESPN, down a third in ratings and 27% in viewership from last year’s UCF/Louisville game (1.5, 2.2M). The Thursday night Virginia Tech/Pittsburgh game drew a 0.9 and 1.4 million, down 36% and 38%, respectively, from Miami/UNC last year.
Shifting to ESPN2, last Saturday’s Missouri/Florida game was the top draw with a 0.7 and 1.2 million — down 53% in ratings and 55% in viewership from LSU/Mississippi last year (1.5, 2.6M) but up 133% and 146%, respectively, from Middle Tennessee St./Mississippi State in 2012 (0.3, 471K). ESPNU’s top game was Clemson/Boston College earlier that afternoon, with a 0.4 and 559,000 — up 300% in ratings and 212% in viewership from last year’s Maryland/Wake Forest game (0.1, 179K).
(Wknd. numbers from Awful Announcing)
