The Southeastern Conference attracted the two largest college football audiences of week seven.
Last Saturday’s Texas A&M/Mississippi college football game drew a 3.2 U.S. rating and 5.1 million viewers on ESPN, down 14% in ratings and 15% in viewership from South Carolina/LSU in an earlier slot last year (3.7, 6.0M), but up 46% and 43%, respectively, from Florida/Auburn in 2011 (2.2, 3.6M). [For the full list of Week 7 college football ratings, click here.]
Though down from last year, the game was the top college football draw of the week on any network. In addition, the game ranks as the #3 college football game of the season on ESPN, trailing only Notre Dame/Michigan (5.3, 8.7M) and South Carolina/Georgia (4.3, 7.1M) in week two.
The second-biggest draw of the week was also an SEC game. CBS earned a 3.1 final rating and 5.0 million viewers for Florida/LSU, up 35% in ratings from Alabama/Missouri last year (2.3), and up 11% and 13%, respectively, from LSU/Tennessee in 2011 (2.8, 4.4M).
In third place was the “Red River Rivalry” between Oklahoma and Texas, which earned a 3.0 and 4.7 million viewers on ABC. The game ranks as the most-viewed Noon ET game of the season on any network, and the second-highest rated (Florida/Miami had a 3.1 in week two).
Rounding out the top five were the four-overtime Michigan/Penn State clash on ESPN (2.6, 4.0M) and regional action on ABC (2.4, 3.5M).
In other week seven action, ESPN drew a 2.1 U.S. rating and 3.0 million viewers for Missouri’s upset of Georgia — up 50% in ratings and 44% in viewership from Iowa/Michigan State last year (1.4, 2.1M), but down 36% and 37%, respectively, from Michigan/Michigan State in 2011 (3.3, 4.8M).
Meanwhile, Fox Sports 1 scored a season-high 1.0 and 1.8 million for Oregon/Washington, while FOX hit a season-low of 0.9 and 1.4 million for Baylor/Kansas State. The week’s worst TV draw was Memphis/Houston on ESPNEWS, with a 0.1 and 79,000 viewers.
(Last week’s numbers from Sports Business Daily, Son of the Bronx [1], [2])
