The defending national champions got week ten of the college football season off to a strong start.
Thursday’s Florida State/Louisville college football game drew a 3.5 overnight rating on ESPN, the network’s highest of the season. The previous mark was set just days earlier by Mississippi State/LSU (3.3).
The 3.5 is the ninth-highest for a Thursday night game on ESPN since at least 2000. By comparison, TNT averaged a 2.0 overnight for its NBA doubleheader* on Thursday, which included LeBron James‘ first game in Cleveland since rejoining the Cavaliers. Overnights were not available for Thursday Night Football on NFL Network.
Louisville was the top market for the Cardinals’ near-upset, with a 21.7 rating. Birmingham (18.1), Jacksonville (11.4), Orlando (8.7) and West Palm Beach (8.6) rounded out the top five.
*Overnights for Thursday’s individual NBA games were not available, but Knicks/Cavaliers had a 2.6 fast-national rating.
(Thu. numbers from ESPN Media Zone)
