An all-Big Ten tripleheader scored solid numbers on ESPN last weekend.
Last Saturday’s Michigan/Michigan State college football game had a 2.9 final rating and 4.7 million viewers on ESPN, up 26% in ratings and a third in viewership from Mississippi/Auburn last year (2.3, 3.5M) and up 45% and 52%, respectively, from Texas/Kansas State in 2014 (2.0, 3.1M).
The Wolverines’ win ranks as the highest rated and most-watched college football game on ESPN since week one of the season, and ranks fourth among Noon ET games regardless of network. For the week, it ranked second in ratings and viewership behind Clemson/Florida State on ABC in primetime (3.2, 5.4M).
Later in the day, Northwestern/Ohio State had a 2.2 and 3.6 million viewers — up 29% in ratings and 46% in viewership from Oklahoma State/Texas Tech last year (1.7, 2.5M) and up 83% and 106%, respectively, from West Virginia/Oklahoma State in 2014 (1.2, 1.8M).
Nebraska/Wisconsin rounded out the action with a 2.1 and 3.8 million in primetime, down a tick in ratings but up 2% in viewership from Michigan/Minnesota last year (2.2, 3.7M) and down 30% and 24%, respectively, from Mississippi/LSU in 2014 (3.0, 5.0M).
In other week nine action, the Virginia Tech/Pittsburgh Thursday night game had a 1.2 and 1.8 million on October 27 — up 48% in viewership over North Carolina/Pittsburgh last year, ratings for which were unavailable (1.2M) and up 50% and 52%, respectively, from Miami/Virginia Tech in 2014 (0.8, 1.2M).
Across the other ESPN networks, Tennessee/South Carolina was the week’s top draw on ESPN2 with a 0.9 and 1.5 million last Saturday night — up 350% in ratings and 288% in viewership from Vanderbilt/Houston last year (0.2, 392K) but down 40% and 41%, respectively, from Alabama/Tennessee in ’14 (1.5, 2.6M). Maryland/Indiana topped the charts on ESPNU with just 236,000 (-18%).
(Wknd. numbers via Sports Business Daily 11/4, ShowBuzz Daily 11/1)
