While FOX was dominated by the competition, Fox Sports 1 generated one of its largest college football audiences ever last week.
Last Saturday’s Baylor/Oklahoma game drew a 1.3 final rating and 2.0 million viewers on FS1, the network’s second-largest college football audience ever (dates back to last year). The only game to do better was last year’s meeting between the teams, which aired on a Thursday night (2.1M).
The Bears’ 34-point win drew the same rating as Kansas State/TCU on FOX later in the day, and only slightly fewer viewers. That game, also a rout, drew a 1.3 and 2.2 million — down 13% in ratings and 15% in viewership from Texas/West Virginia last year (1.5, 2.6M) and down 32% and 25%, respectively, from Kansas State/TCU in 2012 (1.9, 3.0M).
The big difference in the two games’ performance was the level of competition. Kansas State/TCU aired directly opposite both LSU/Alabama on CBS (5.3, 9.1M) and Ohio State/Michigan State on ABC (3.9, 6.8M). Baylor/Oklahoma, on the other hand, faced Georgia/Kentucky on ESPN (1.9, 2.7M) and several low-rated games on the other ESPN cable networks.
In other action last Saturday, FS1 drew a 0.8 and 1.3 million for West Virginia/Texas — up 300% in ratings and 336% in viewership from Kansas State/Oklahoma State last year (0.2, 302K), and the sixth-largest college football audience ever on FS1. Three of the top six have taken place this season.
In the nightcap, UCLA/Washington drew a 0.4 and 574,000 opposite the marquee primetime games.
(Sat. numbers from Sports Business Daily)
