With both teams in playoff position, the annual clash between LSU and Alabama hit season-highs on CBS.
Saturday’s LSU/Alabama college football game earned a 6.4 final rating and 11.1 million viewers on CBS, up 21% in ratings and viewership from last year’s meeting between the teams (5.3, 9.1M) but down 7% in both measures from their 2013 matchup (6.9, 11.9M). Those games took place one week later in the season.
Compared to last year’s primetime week ten game on CBS, Notre Dame/Navy, ratings and viewership increased 178% and 184%, respectively, from a 2.3 and 3.9 million.
Alabama’s win ranks as the highest rated and most-watched college football game on any network this year, topping the previous highs of 6.0 and 10.6 million for Ohio State/Virginia Tech on ESPN Labor Day. With that said, it ranks just fourth out the past five games between Alabama and LSU — ahead of last year, but behind 2013, 2012 (6.8, 11.3M) and 2011 (11.5, 20.0M).
Head-to-head, the game topped all five competing college football telecasts on a Nielsen rated network — combined. Minnesota/Ohio State on ABC (4.7M), Michigan State/Nebraska on ESPN (3.5M), Utah/Washington on FOX (1.5M), Navy/Memphis on ESPN2 (653K) and Iowa State/Oklahoma on ESPNU (554K) added up to approximately 10.9 million viewers.
In the usual 3:30 PM ET window, Arkansas/Mississippi drew a 2.0 and 3.0 million — down 46% in ratings and 48% in viewership from last year (3.7, 5.7M) and down 36% and 40%, respectively, from 2013 (3.1, 4.9M). Both of those telecasts pitted rivals Florida and Georgia. The Razorbacks’ overtime win drew the second-lowest rating and viewership on CBS this season, ahead of only Georgia/Vanderbilt in week two (1.7, 2.6M).
(Sat. numbers from CBS Press Express; additional info from TV Media Insights/ShowBuzz Daily)
