FOX scored its top college football audience of the season; NASCAR’s Xfinity Series scored a rare increase; Pro Bull Riding sank double-digits in its second NFL-adjacent outing.
Wisconsin-Iowa Delivers Season-High on FOX
Last Saturday’s Wisconsin-Iowa college football game had a 2.0 rating and 3.31 million viewers on FOX, down a tick in ratings and 4% in viewership from last year (Notre Dame-Michigan State: 2.1, 3.46M) but up 82% and 90% respectively from 2016 (Oklahoma State-Baylor: 1.1, 1.75M).
Despite the drop, it was the highest rated and most-watched game of the season on a Fox Sports network. [The full list of college football ratings this season is available here.]
Earlier in the day, TCU-Texas had a 1.7 (-23%) and 2.89 million (-18%). Last year’s game was Big Ten matchup featuring Michigan. On FS1, Nebraska-Michigan topped the charts with a 0.9 and 1.45 million, and last Friday’s Penn State-Illinois game had a 0.7 (+100%) and 1.17 million (+101%).
Rare Bump For NASCAR Xfinity at Richmond
The NASCAR Xfinity Series from Richmond (Va.) earned a 0.5 rating and 870,000 viewers on NBCSN last Friday, up 8% in viewership from last year (805K) but down 10% in both measures from 2016 (0.6, 970K). It was just the fifth Xfinity Series race this season to post an increase.
Bull Riding Down in Second Post-NFL Outing
Airing adjacent to live NFL action, coverage of the Pro Bull Riders tour scored a 1.0 rating and 1.54 million viewers on CBS Sunday — down 17% in ratings and 20% in viewership from last year’s second NFL-adjacent window (1.2, 1.93M). The declines were in line with CBS’ NFL window, which declined 17 and 18 percent respectively from the network’s second singleheader game last year (Week 2).
[Numbers from Nielsen via ShowBuzz Daily 9.25]
