The final SEC doubleheader on CBS dominated the college football ratings charts in week ten of the season.
LSU-Alabama averaged a 4.6 rating and 8.82 million viewers in the final primetime edition of the SEC on CBS, marking the largest audience of the season on CBS and sixth-largest on any network. Nine games this season have averaged at least eight million viewers, more than last year’s full regular season (seven). Alabama has played in three of the nine most-watched games this season, matching Colorado for the most of any team.
Ratings increased 19% and viewership 23% from last year’s primetime game on CBS, Alabama-Texas A&M a month earlier in the season (3.9, 7.15M). Compared to last year’s Alabama-LSU game, which aired in the same timeslot and on the same weekend — but on ESPN — ratings increased 20% (from 3.9) and viewership 16% (from 7.58M).
The Tide’s win delivered the largest audience in their rivalry with LSU since their #1 vs. #2 matchup in 2019 (9.7, 16.64M).
Earlier in the day, Missouri-Georgia averaged a 3.8 and 7.00 million — down 44% in ratings and 46% in viewership from Tennessee-Georgia last year (6.7, 13.06M) but the second-largest audience of the weekend. Overall, CBS took three of the top four spots with Ohio State-Rutgers clocking in at a 2.2 and 3.96 million, the network’s most-watched Noon ET game since 2008.
The full CBS tripleheader grossed 19.78 million viewers, making it the most-watched day of college football on any network this season. ABC grossed 19.37 million for its September 23 tripleheader, which included Colorado-Oregon.
The top game outside of CBS in week ten was Washington-USC on ABC’s Saturday Night Football, which drew a 2.5 and 4.45 million — nearly triple last year’s unusually-low Florida State-Miami game (0.8, 1.50M).
Earlier in the day, ABC drew a 2.1 and 3.76 million for the final edition of “Bedlam” between Oklahoma and Oklahoma State, up 60% and 69% respectively from Penn State-Indiana last year (1.3, 2.23M). Compared to last year’s Bedlam game, which aired on ABC in primetime two weeks later in the season, ratings increased 27% (from 1.7) and viewership 23% (from 3.06M).
Rounding out ABC’s tripleheader, Notre Dame-Clemson drew a 1.9 and 3.24 million — down 27% and 32% respectively from Ohio State-Northwestern a year ago (2.7, 4.76M).
In a rarity, FOX finished third in its “Big Noon” window as Kansas State-Texas had a 1.6 and 2.95 million — up from Texas Tech-TCU last year (1.4, 2.51M) but no match for Notre Dame-Clemson on ABC or Ohio State-Rutgers on CBS. FOX also drew a 1.3 and 2.39 million for Penn State-Maryland a mere 0.6 and 1.26 million for BYU-West Virginia.
As previously noted, ESPN topped out at a 1.5 and 2.77 million for Oregon State-Colorado, the least-watched Buffaloes game of the season but the top game of the week on cable. Ratings jumped 37% and viewership 36% from Cal-USC a year ago (1.1, 2.04M). None of ESPN’s other games cracked the two million mark, with Texas A&M-Mississippi coming closest at a 1.0 and 1.83 million.
ESPN also drew a 1.0 (+84%) and 1.76 million (+82%) for Florida State-Pittsburgh and a 0.6 (-84%) and 1.27 million (-83%) for Kansas-Iowa State. Last year’s equivalent windows were Oregon-Colorado (0.52, 962K) and Alabama-LSU (3.9, 7.58M).
Over on NBC, Purdue-Michigan drew a 1.4 and 2.60 million Saturday night — ranking a middle-of-the-road eighth out of its sixteen total windows this season.
The full list of college football ratings this season can be seen here.
