Saturday’s much hyped matchup between Penn State and Alabama put up big, though not enormous, numbers on ESPN.
Alabama’s blowout win over Penn State drew a 4.2 U.S. rating and 7.124 million viewers on ESPN Saturday night, down 33% in ratings and viewership from USC/Ohio State last year (6.3, 10.586 mil), and down 4% and up 2%, respectively, from Miami/Florida in 2008 (4.3, 6.954 mil).
Keep in mind last year’s USC/Ohio State game was the most-viewed college football telecast in the history of ESPN.
Penn State/Alabama was not even Saturday’s highest rated college football game, falling behind Michigan/Notre Dame on NBC (4.5).
Earlier Saturday, ESPN drew a 3.5 U.S. rating and 5.752 million viewers for Miami/Ohio State, up 84% in ratings and 93% in viewership from UCLA/Tennessee last year (1.9, 2.985 mil) and up 94% and 108%, respectively, from West Virginia/ECU in 2008 (1.8, 2.760 mil).
Both UCLA/Tennessee (4 PM) and West Virginia/ECU (4:30 PM) aired in later timeslots.
Though down from last year, Penn State/Alabama finished as the fifth-most viewed program of the week on cable. Miami/Florida State finished tenth. The Labor Day thriller between Boise State and Virginia Tech was the top college football game of the week, ranking second.
