FOX Big Noon Saturday continues to be one of the industry’s recent success stories.
Notre Dame-Wisconsin averaged a 3.1 rating and 5.37 million viewers on the latest edition of FOX Big Noon Saturday, ranking as the highest rated and most-watched college football game of the weekend. FOX “Big Noon” games account for three of the nine most-watched games this season. [For all the numbers this season, check the college football ratings page.]
FOX is now averaging 4.13 million viewers for college football games this season, up 30% from 2019 (3.71M) and its highest four-week average ever.
Notre Dame’s win increased 94% in ratings and 103% in viewership from Kansas State-Oklahoma last year (1.6, 2.67M). Compared to Michigan-Wisconsin in 2019, ratings were flat and viewership increased 13% (from 4.73M). The Iowa State-Baylor lead-out did not fare as well, its 1.1 and 2.01 million both down 26%.
Ranking second for the weekend, ABC pulled a 2.5 and 4.50 million for West Virginia-Oklahoma on Saturday Night Football — up 58% in ratings and 53% in viewership from Florida State-Miami last year (1.6, 2.95M) and up 15% and 24% respectively from 2019 (Oklahoma State-Texas: 2.2, 3.64M).
Saturday Night Football is now averaging 6.5 million viewers, the highest of any college football window this season.
The SEC on CBS ranked third with a 2.4 and 4.07 million for Texas A&M-Arkansas, the highest for that rivalry since 2014 — but down 5% in ratings and 8% in viewership from Mississippi State-LSU last year (2.5, 4.44M) and down 21% and 13% respectively from 2019 (Auburn-Texas A&M: 3.0, 4.66M).
CBS also chipped in a mere 0.54 and 804,000 for Boise State-Utah State earlier in the day.
Topping the charts on cable, Tennessee-Florida drew a 1.75 and 3.28 million on ESPN Saturday night — up 52% in ratings and 57% in viewership from last year (Alabama-Missouri: 1.2, 2.09M) and up 119% and 140% respectively from 2019 (Oregon-Stanford: 0.8, 1.37M). The Gators’ easy win ranks as the second-most watched game on cable this season.
Overall, ESPN had its most-watched college football quadrupleheader since 2018. The Arizona-Oregon nightcap had a 0.9 and 1.66 million, up 109% in ratings and 108% in viewership from last year (Troy-BYU: 0.45, 795K) and up 4% and 19% respectively from 2019 (UCLA-Washington State: 0.9, 1.39M).
NC State’s midday upset of Clemson drew a 1.2 and 2.19 million, up 97% in ratings and 103% in viewership from last year (Army-Cincinnati: 0.6, 1.08M) and up 28% and 42% respectively from 2019 (Louisville-FSU: 1.0, 1.54M).
Finally, LSU-Mississippi State drew a 1.1 and 1.79 million in the Noon ET window — actually down 25% in ratings and 33% in viewership from last year (Florida-Mississippi: 1.5, 2.67M) and down 30% and 27% respectively from 2019 (Tennessee-Florida: 1.6, 2.46M).
ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC each had their most-watched week four of the season since 2017. In addition to the previously-mentioned Saturday Night Football game, ABC had a 1.6 (+89%) and 2.81 million (+93%) for Rutgers-Michigan and a 1.0 (+72%) and 1.73 million (+73%) for Texas Tech-Texas.
Also hitting a high over the weekend was Big Ten Network, which drew its largest audience of the season — 1.08 million viewers — for Akron-Ohio State. Viewership increased 20% from Nebraska-Illinois in 2019 (896K). FS1 scored its second-largest audience of the season for Nebraska-Michigan State, which had a 0.9 and 1.66 million.
[Nielsen estimates from ShowBuzz Daily 9.28, network PR]
