If down only slightly from “Power 5” play last year, SMU-Memphis still hit a primetime low on ABC.
SMU-Memphis averaged a 1.8 rating and 2.95 million viewers on ABC’s Saturday Night Football last weekend, marking the network’s least-watched primetime college football game since 2016 (USC-Stanford: 2.88M).
The numbers were not dramatically worse than what the “Power 5” drew in prior years. Ratings and viewership fell a tick and 6% respectively from Oklahoma-Texas Tech in week ten last season (1.9, 3.14M). Compared to Virginia Tech-Miami two years ago, ratings were flat and viewership fell 2% (from 3.01M).
The last primetime “group of five” game on ABC — Cincinnati-UCF last year — averaged a 1.9 and 3.10 million.
ABC fared better earlier in the day, averaging a 2.1 (+91%) and 3.10 million (+100%) for Michigan-Maryland. The Wolverines’ win took top honors in the Noon ET window ahead of FOX Big Noon Saturday (Nebraska-Purdue: 1.8, 2.70M).
In ten weeks this season, ESPN/ABC has won the Noon window four times and FOX six.
Rounding out ABC’s tripleheader, Miami-Florida State averaged a 1.3 (+44%) and 2.01 million (+49%). While up from last year’s comparable window (FSU-NC State), ratings and viewership were the lowest for the Miami-FSU rivalry since at least 2003.
Over on ESPN, all four week ten windows declined from last year. Mississippi-Auburn was the network’s top draw with a 1.2 (-37%) and 2.21 million (-33%) Saturday night.
West Virginia-Baylor ranked second with a 0.7 (-10%) and 1.13 million (-5%) last Thursday night, ESPN’s top Thursday game since the opening week of the season.
The network’s Saturday afternoon windows tanked. TCU-Oklahoma State sank 80% in ratings and 81% in viewership (to 0.5, 797K) and NC State-Wake Forest 63% and 66% respectively (to 0.6, 890K). Last year’s comparable windows were Penn State-Michigan and Texas A&M-Auburn.
ESPN2 topped out at a 0.5 (-47%) and 742,000 (-45%) for Navy-UConn last Friday. ESPNU pulled 492,000 for UAB-Tennessee last Saturday night, its most-watched game since Georgia State-Tennessee in Week 1 (702K).
[Nielsen estimates from ShowBuzz Daily 11.5]
