Despite a steep drop from last year, ESPN scored strong numbers for an all-SEC matchup last weekend.
Last Saturday’s Auburn-Georgia college football game had a 2.2 rating and 3.99 million viewers on ESPN, down 44% in ratings and 43% in viewership from Mississippi State’s near-upset of Alabama last year (3.9, 7.03M), but up 57% and 70% respectively from 2016 (LSU-Arkansas: 1.4, 2.35M).
Despite the decline, the Bulldogs’ win ranks fifth among college football games on cable this season.
It was also last weekend’s top primetime college football game,* topping Clemson-Boston College on ABC (3.89M) and Florida State-Notre Dame on NBC (3.17M). Clemson-BC had a higher rating (2.4).
Earlier in the day, South Carolina-Florida had a 1.3 and 2.07 million — up a tick in ratings and 2% in viewership from last year (Arkansas-LSU: 1.2, 2.03M) but down 35% and 37% respectively from 2016 (Mississippi State-Alabama: 2.0, 3.26M).
Washington State-Colorado followed with a 0.8 (-27%) and 1.30 million (-31%).
Rounding out the Saturday slate, Cal-USC had a 1.0 and 1.59 million — up 43% in ratings and 58% in viewership from 2016 (Cal-Washington State: 0.7, 1.01M). There was no comparable window last year. College Gameday opened the day with 1.80 million (-15%).
Over on ESPN2, last Friday’s Louisville-Syracuse game had a 0.65 rating and 1.06 million viewers (+52%) and Fresno State-Boise State a 0.5 and 819,000 (+56%). ESPNU topped out at 344,000 for Virginia Tech-Pittsburgh Saturday afternoon (+59%).
The full list of week eleven college football ratings is available here.
* Clemson-Boston College had a larger audience with streaming included.
[Numbers from Nielsen via ShowBuzz Daily 11.14]
