CBS attracted strong numbers for last week’s Alabama/Georgia mismatch, but it was not enough to top ABC’s concurrent regional action.
Last Saturday’s Alabama/Georgia college football game drew 7.0 million viewers on CBS, up 62% from Arkansas/Texas A&M last year (4.4M) but down 5% from LSU/Georgia in 2013 (7.4M). The rating was not immediately available.
Alabama’s blowout win ranks as easily the most-watched telecast of the season on CBS (five total), topping the previous high of 4.6 million for Tennessee/Georgia the previous week, and the seventh-most watched regardless of network.
Despite the strong performance, the game ranked only third for the week — and second in its own timeslot. It trailed ABC’s regional window, which featured Ohio State’s closer-than-expected matchup with Indiana (7.3M) and also ranked behind the network’s Notre Dame/Clemson Saturday Night Football game (7.7M). The SEC on CBS has failed to top the charts in four of five weeks this season, after winning the week nine times in 13 tries last year.
(Wknd. numbers via Sports Business Daily)
