ABC continues to draw good ratings for college football coverage.
Regional college football coverage featuring Oklahoma/Miami drew a 4.8 rating and 7.8 million viewers, up 33% and 34%, respectively, from a 3.6 and 5.8 million for Illinois/Penn State last year, and the highest rated, most-viewed Saturday Night Football game of the season.
Oklahoma/Miami ranks as the fourth-most viewed college football game of the season, behind Notre Dame/Michigan on ABC (8.4 million), Miami/Florida State on ESPN (8.4 million) and USC/Ohio State on ESPN (10.6 million).
Additionally, the game was the highest rated, most-viewed non-NFL sporting event of the week.
Earlier in the day, regional coverage featuring Florida State/Boston College drew a 2.6 rating, down 16% from a 3.1 last year. This is the first time all season that an afternoon college football game on ABC has had a decline in ratings.
So far this season, ABC is averaging a 4.0 rating and 6.3 million viewers for college football coverage, up 14% and 18%, respectively, from a 3.5 and 5.4 million through the same point last year. In particular, Saturday Night Football is averaging a 4.3 rating and 7 million viewers, up 2% in ratings and viewership from a 4.2 and 6.8 million last year.
Sources: Sports Business Daily, ESPN.com
