Alabama and Arkansas were not quite the draw for ESPN that they were last year. In other news, the WNBA Finals opened with an increase in overnight ratings, and rescheduled NASCAR action from Charlotte had a lower overnight than last year.
Bama/Arkansas Dips, But Among ESPN’s Top Games of Season
- Saturday’s Alabama/Arkansas college football game had a 2.4 overnight rating on ESPN, down a tick from the same matchup last year (2.5) but up 20% from LSU/Auburn in 2014 (2.0). The 2.4 is tied as the third-highest college football overnight on ESPN this season. In other action, Clemson/Boston College scored 1.7 million viewers on Friday night — up 9% from N.C. State/Virginia Tech last year (1.5M) and up 1% from Louisville/Syracuse in 2014 (1.6M). Ratings were not immediately available. On Thursday, Tulane/Memphis had a mere 0.4 final rating (-60%) and 626,000 viewers (-57%).
WNBA Finals Opens With Uptick
- Game 1 of the Sparks/Lynx WNBA Finals drew a 0.5 overnight rating on ABC Sunday afternoon, up a tick from both Fever/Lynx last year and Sky/Mercury in 2014. The 0.5 is the highest for Game 1 of the finals since Dream/Storm posted the same number in 2010. Minneapolis-St. Paul led all markets with a 2.1 rating, followed by Nashville (1.4), Hartford-New Haven (1.3), Louisville (1.0) and Charlotte (0.9). Sparks home market Los Angeles was below the metered market average with a 0.4.
PPD NASCAR From Charlotte Lower Than Last Year
- Postponed NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Charlotte, the fourth race in the Chase For the Cup, had a 1.2 overnight rating on NBC Sunday afternoon — down 14% from the same race last year, which was also postponed to Sunday but aired on NBCSN (1.4). Figures do not include simulcast coverage on NBCSN, which could make up the difference. The last time the race was run as scheduled in its Saturday night timeslot, coverage on ABC scored a 2.9.
(Wknd. numbers via Sports Business Daily 10/10)
