An upset of the nation’s #2 team scored a big increase on ABC despite tough baseball competition.
Ohio State/Penn State had a 3.9 final rating and 6.5 million viewers on ABC’s Saturday Night Football last weekend, up 30% in ratings and 22% in viewership from Ohio State/Rutgers last year (3.0, 5.3M) but down 51% in both measures from Notre Dame/Florida State in 2014 (7.9, 13.3M).
The Buckeyes’ upset loss was topped head-to-head by Game 6 of the MLB NLCS on Fox Sports 1, which saw the Chicago Cubs clinch their first World Series appearance since 1945 (5.2, 9.7M). It ranked second for the weekend among college football games behind Alabama/Mississippi on CBS earlier in the day.
Figures do not include streaming viewership on WatchESPN. With those numbers added to the mix, the game had 6.6 million viewers.
Shifting to the afternoon, regional action had a 1.9 and 3.2 million — down 39% in ratings and 35% in viewership from last year (3.1, 4.9M) and down 21% and 16%, respectively, from 2014 (2.4, 3.8M).
Louisville/N.C. State drew a 1.6 and 2.4 million in the Noon ET window, down 11% in ratings and 10% in viewership from Clemson/Miami last year (1.8, 2.6M). There was no comparable window in 2014. The Cardinals’ blowout win was the lowest rated and least-watched ABC game this season.
(Wknd. numbers via ShowBuzz Daily 10/25)
