Compared to the season opener, overnight ratings increased substantially for the second edition of college football on FOX. In other news, ESPN’s Thursday night college football game had a big increase, and Saturday’s Major League Baseball action on FOX suffered a double-digit drop.
- FOX College Football Up Big From Week 1: Saturday’s Nebraska/UCLA college football game drew a 2.4 overnight rating on FOX, up 71% from Hawaii/USC on the network a week earlier (1.4). The increase can at least be partially attributed to the lack of competition Saturday night. ABC did not air “Saturday Night Football,” and the network’s NASCAR coverage was delayed due to rain. (Weekend numbers from Sports Business Daily)
- Without NFL Competition, Viewership Soars For Thursday College Football: Airing opposite political coverage on other networks — but avoiding competition from the NFL season opener — Thursday’s Pittsburgh/Cincinnati college football game earned 2.239 million viewers on ESPN, up 49% from Arizona/Oklahoma State last year (1.502M), and down 20% from Auburn/Mississippi State in 2010 (2.807M). (Thursday’s numbers from TV By the Numbers)
- Overnights Drop For MLB on FOX: Regional Major League Baseball action featuring Dodgers/Giants in 44% of markets drew a 1.4 overnight rating on FOX Saturday afternoon, down 18% from coverage featuring Rangers/Red Sox in the comparable week last season (1.7), and down 26% from coverage featuring Cardinals/Braves in 2010 (1.9). The 1.4 does mark a slight improvement over a 1.3 overnight for regional action the previous week. (Weekend numbers from Sports Business Daily)
