Even with Saturday Night Football preempted by NASCAR, ABC attracted the top college football overnight of the weekend.
The USC/Stanford college football game drew a 4.6 overnight rating on ABC Saturday afternoon, up 59% from regional action last year (2.9), up 64% from regional action in 2011 (2.8), and the top college football overnight of the week.
USC’s win topped the much-hyped Michigan State/Oregon clash on FOX, which aired in primetime (4.0). Keep in mind Michigan State/Oregon faced competition from other high-profile primetime games while USC/Stanford aired virtually unopposed — the toughest competition was a Mississippi/Vanderbilt game on ESPN that drew a mere 0.65.
ABC’s afternoon window has now topped the charts in two straight weeks to open the season. West Virginia/Alabama in week one was tied as the top game of the week in the overnights and finished alone at #1 in the final tally.
Earlier in the afternoon, regional action on ABC drew a 2.1 overnight. There was no comparable game last year.
(Sat. overnights from Sports Business Daily, ShowBuzz Daily)
