NBC’s Notre Dame opener was no match for last year’s primetime action, but scored an increase over 2014.
The Notre Dame home opener against Nevada had 2.5 million viewers on NBC Saturday afternoon, down 40% from last year’s primetime opener against Texas (4.1M) but up 17% from the 2014 opener against Rice, which aired in the afternoon (2.1M). Ratings declined 36% from last year (2.42 to 1.55).
Notre Dame’s blowout win was the team’s third-least watched home opener in at least 15 years, ahead of 2014 against Rice and their previous opener against Nevada in 2009 (1.9M).
The game ranked fourth for its mid-afternoon timeslot, narrowly trailing both Western Kentucky/Alabama on ESPN2 (2.47M to 2.45M) and Kentucky/Florida on CBS (2.52M) and well behind Tulsa/Ohio State on ABC (4.0M).
(Wknd. numbers from NBC Sports)
