The college football season continued its strong start in the ratings in week three.
Last Saturday’s Alabama-Florida and Auburn-Penn State college football games were the fourth and fifth of the college football season to cross the seven million viewer mark, the most in the first three weeks of play since 2016 (also five). Last season, it took until mid-October before a single game averaged even six million. [For the full list of week three numbers, see the college football ratings page.]
In particular, Alabama-Florida averaged a 4.15 rating and 7.86 million viewers in the season debut of the SEC on CBS — marking the second-largest audience of the season. Georgia-Clemson had 8.86 million on ABC in week one.
The Tide’s competitive win, which peaked with 11.59 million viewers from 6:45-7 PM ET, ranks as the network’s most-watched SEC opener since Alabama-Texas A&M in 2013 (13.57M). Ratings jumped 66% and viewership 77% from last year’s SEC on CBS opener, which aired a week later in the season (Mississippi State-LSU: 2.5, 4.44M), and increased 38% and 59% respectively from 2019 (Alabama-South Carolina: 3.0, 4.95M).
Auburn-Penn State averaged a 4.1 and 7.61 million on ABC, up 93% in ratings and 100% in viewership from Miami-Louisville last year, which faced unprecedented NBA conference final competition (2.1, 3.80M), and up 77% and 110% respectively from Clemson-Syracuse in 2019 (2.3, 3.62M). Penn State’s win, which peaked with 8.9 million, was the most-watched week three game on ABC since 2011.
ABC also drew a 1.7 and 2.77 million for Michigan State-Miami, up 84% in ratings and 105% in viewership from last year (Navy-Tulane: 0.9, 1.35M) but down 21% and 13% respectively from ’19 (Pittsburgh-Penn State; 2.1, 3.20M). The first half of the weather-delayed Georgia Tech-Clemson game had a 1.2 and 2.10 million before moving to cable.
Ranking third for the weekend, Nebraska-Oklahoma drew a 2.5 and 4.21 million on FOX “Big Noon Saturday” — up 23% and 38% respectively from Ohio State-Indiana in 2019 (2.0, 3.05M). There was no comparable window last year. FOX also drew a 0.9 and 1.58 million for USC-Washington State, down 47% and 42% respectively from ’19 (Arizona State-Michigan State: 1.7, 2.71M). The network is averaging 4.17 million viewers for the season, up 41% from ’19 (2.97M) and its best start through three weeks on record.
Rounding out the broadcast network coverage, Purdue-Notre Dame drew a 1.5 and 2.58 million on NBC — down 38% and 40% respectively from the network’s first Notre Dame game last season, against Duke (2.4, 4.32M).
Shifting to cable, South Carolina-Georgia topped the charts at a 1.3 and 2.55 million on ESPN — down 26% and 19% respectively from 2019 (Florida-Kentucky: 1.7, 3.14M). ESPN carried an NBA conference final game in the same window last year. All four of the network’s Saturday windows declined from 2019. Ratings fell 36% and viewership 29% for FSU-Wake Forest (0.39, 689K), 23% and 13% respectively for Arizona State-BYU (0.9, 1.50M) and 14% and 1% respectively for Cincinnati-Indiana (1.0, 1.68M). Cincinnati-Indiana also slipped from last year.
ESPN fared better Friday night as UCF-Louisville (1.1, 1.88M) more-than-tripled Campbell-Coastal Carolina in the same window last year (0.29, 509K) and increased 22% and 38% respectively from ’19 (North Carolina-Wake Forest: 0.9, 1.37M).
FS1 scored its best performance of the young season with a 0.9 and 1.83 million for Tulsa-Ohio State, up 47% and 57% respectively from 2019 (Iowa-Iowa State: 0.6, 1.17M) and its top game since Penn State-Indiana last October (1.0, 2.07M).
Beyond the games themselves, ESPN’s College Gameday averaged 1.91 million viewers — up 84% from week three last year and up 7% from 2019 — more-than-doubling FOX Big Noon Kickoff in the 11 AM ET hour (2.43M to 1.19M). For its part, Big Noon was up 29% from week three of the 2019 season (918K).
[Nielsen estimates from ShowBuzz Daily 9.21, ESPN PR, Fox Sports PR, CBS Sports PR]
