Despite facing the World Series, Notre Dame’s close call against surprising Temple scored college football’s top audience of the week.
Saturday’s Notre Dame/Temple college football game scored a 3.6 final rating and nearly 6.0 million viewers on ABC, up 24% in ratings and 28% in viewership from Ohio State/Penn State last year (2.9, 4.7M) and up 44% and 47%, respectively, from Penn State/Ohio State in 2013 (2.5, 4.1M).
Notre Dame’s narrow win was the highest rated and most-watched college football game of the week, marking the seventh time in nine weeks this season that ESPN or ABC has topped the charts. The networks did so just six times in 15 weeks last year.
It also scored the second-largest audience for a Notre Dame game this season, trailing only their loss to Clemson in week five (7.6M), and the third-highest rating — behind the Clemson game (4.5) and their narrow win over Virginia in week two (3.7).
Keep in mind coverage faced stronger competition from the World Series, which posted its top Saturday night numbers in six years (7.8, 13.6M).
Earlier in the day, regional action drew a 2.3 and 3.5 million — down a tick in ratings and 8% in viewership from Michigan/Michigan State last year (2.4, 3.8M) but up a tick and 5%, respectively, from regional coverage in 2013 (2.2, 3.3M). ESPN2 drew 730,000 for ‘reverse mirror’ coverage, bringing the total audience up to 4.2 million.
Rounding out ABC’s tripleheader, Syracuse/Florida State had a 1.8 and 2.6 million; there were no comparable windows last year or in 2013.
(Sat. numbers via TV Media Insights, Sports Business Daily)
