The SEC accounted for the two largest college football audiences of the week on cable, led by Arkansas/Georgia.
ESPN drew a 2.9 U.S. rating and 4.251 million viewers for Saturday’s battle between Arkansas and Georgia, up 26% in ratings and 28% in viewership from California/Minnesota last year (2.3, 3.323 mil) and up 71% and 77%, respectively, from California/Maryland in 2008 (1.7, 2.407 mil).
The game ranks as ESPN’s second-most viewed Noon ET college football game since ’91.
Later Saturday, ESPN’s Clemson/Auburn telecast drew a 2.5 U.S. rating and 4.248 million viewers, flat in ratings and up 6% in viewership from Georgia/Arkansas in a similar timeslot last year (2.5, 4.025 mil) and up 108% and 153%, respectively, from Oklahoma/Washington two years ago (1.2, 1.679 mil).
Overall, the two games rank as the #16 and #17 most-viewed programs of the week on cable.
