Two of the best-known college football programs went in opposite directions on ESPN last weekend.
Last Saturday’s Alabama/Arkansas college football game earned 4.4 million viewers on ESPN, down 8% from the same matchup last year (4.8M) but up 18% from LSU/Auburn in 2014 (3.7M). Ratings fell 11% from last year (2.86 to 2.55).
Despite the lower numbers, Alabama’s win delivered the third-largest audience of the season on cable — trailing only a pair of opening weekend games, Clemson/Auburn (4.7M) and the Labor Day game between Mississippi and Florida State (8.4M). Figures do not include streaming viewership on WatchESPN, which brings the total audience for the game up to 4.5 million.
Earlier in the day, Indiana/Ohio State had 3.2 million viewers — up 24% from LSU/South Carolina last year (2.6M). With streaming included, it had 3.3 million. Ratings increased 16% (from 1.65 to 1.91).
Auburn/Mississippi State opened the tripleheader with a 1.2 and 1.9 million, up a tick in ratings and 25% in viewership from Indiana/Penn State last year (1.1, 1.5M) but down 54% and 53%, respectively, from Texas A&M/Mississippi State in 2014 (2.6, 4.1M). Including streaming viewership, it had 2.0 million. The game was originally scheduled to air on non-Nielsen rated SEC Network, but was bumped up to ESPN after LSU/Florida was called off.
The weekend’s top game on ESPN2 was Michigan’s 78-0 destruction of Rutgers, which had 1.3 million viewers — up 11% from Oklahoma State/West Virginia last year (1.2M) and up 13% from Miami/Georgia Tech in 2014 (1.1M). Ratings also increased 10% from last year (0.68 to 0.75). With streaming included, viewership inched up from 1.28 to 1.32 million.
ESPNU topped out 701,000 for Texas Tech/Kansas State, up 157% from ECU/BYU last year (273K) and up 46% from Texas Tech/Kansas State in 2104 (480K). With streaming included, it had 719,000.
(Wknd. numbers via ShowBuzz Daily 10/11, ESPN Media Zone 10/11)
