Ratings declined for the NFL and SEC on CBS last weekend, while Fox Sports continues to benefit from Big Ten TV rights.
NFL Singleheader Hits Season-Low
The Week 5 NFL singleheader window earned a 7.8 rating and 13.2 million viewers on CBS last Sunday, down 17% in ratings and 20% in viewership from last year (9.4, 16.5M) and down 28% and 27% respectively from 2015 (10.9, 18.0M), both of which aired on FOX. It was the least-watched singleheader of the season, falling below the previous mark set in Week 1 (13.3M), when viewership was affected by Hurricane Irma.
SEC on CBS Down For Fifth Straight Week
LSU-Florida earned a 2.5 rating and 4.1 million viewers on the SEC on CBS last Saturday, down 36% in ratings and 37% in viewership from Tennessee-Texas A&M last year (3.9, 6.6M) and down 17% and 15% respectively from Georgia-Tennessee in 2015 (3.0, 4.9M). All five SEC on CBS telecasts this season have declined from last year.
Big Ten Boosting Fox Sports
Last Saturday’s Maryland-Ohio State college football game scored a 1.6 rating and 2.6 million viewers on FOX, the outlet’s top game of the weekend. There were no comparable windows last year or in 2015. Big Ten games account for six of the nine largest audiences on FOX this season, each involving Ohio State, Michigan or Michigan State.
In other action, Iowa State’s upset of Oklahoma had a 1.6 and 2.4 million and Washington State-Oregon scored a 1.15 (+4%) and 1.9 million (+5%). Over on FS1, Kansas State-Texas drew a 0.7 and 1.3 million and West Virginia-TCU a 0.7 and 1.1 million. There were no comparable windows last year. The Stanford-Utah nightcap drew a 0.39 (+86%) and 611,000 (+75%).
[Wknd. numbers via ShowBuzz Daily 10.10]
