Back-to-back upsets of the nation’s #2 and #3 teams produced different results on ABC.
Michigan/Iowa earned a 3.8 final rating and 6.4 million viewers on ABC’s Saturday Night Football last weekend, flat in ratings and up 9% in viewership from Oklahoma/Baylor last year (3.8, 5.9M) but down a tick and 6%, respectively, from Ohio State/Michigan State in 2014 (3.9, 6.8M).
The Wolverines’ first loss of the season, which peaked with 10.0 million viewers from 11:15-11:30 PM ET, was the highest rated and most-watched college football game of the weekend. ESPN/ABC has topped the charts in six of eleven weeks this season.
Figures do not include the streaming audience on WatchESPN. With those viewers added to the mix, the game had 6.5 million viewers.
Earlier in the day, Pittsburgh/Clemson had a 3.0 and 4.9 million — down 9% in ratings and 5% in viewership from regional action last year (3.3, 5.2M) and flat and up 6%, respectively, from Notre Dame/Arizona State in ’14 (3.0, 4.7M).
The Tigers’ first loss of the season, which peaked at 8.3 million from 7:15-7:30 PM, ranked second for the weekend in ratings and third in viewership. With streaming viewership included, it had 5.0 million.
Rounding out ABC’s tripleheader, the Noon ET regional window had a 2.4 and 3.8 million — down 7% in ratings and 8% in viewership from Ohio State/Illinois last year (2.6, 4.1M). There was no comparable window in 2014.
(Wknd. numbers via ShowBuzz Daily 11/15)
