Last week’s primetime Florida/Alabama game earned strong numbers for CBS, but could not match last year’s primetime game on the network.
Alabama’s win over Florida drew a 5.0 final rating and 8.595 million viewers on CBS last Saturday night, down 18% in ratings and viewership from the network’s lone primetime telecast last year (UF/LSU: 6.1, 10.496 mil).
Going back further, the 5.0 rating for Saturday’s game marks a 32% increase from the CBS primetime game in 2008 (LSU/UF: 3.8), but a 6% decline from the network’s primetime game in 2007 (UF/LSU: 5.3).
Though down from last year, Florida/Alabama stands as the second most-viewed college football game of the season, behind only Boise State/Virginia Tech on ESPN Labor Day (9.888 mil).
Additionally, the game ranks as the third highest-rated of the season, behind Boise State/Virginia Tech (6.3) and Alabama/Arkansas on September 25 (5.2).
Florida/Alabama easily outdrew regional college football action airing on ABC at the same time (STAN/ORE*: 3.0, 4.866 mil).
Earlier in the day, CBS drew a 2.6 and 4.089 million viewers for Tennessee/LSU, down 26% in ratings and viewership from LSU/Georgia on the comparable week last year (3.5, 5.542 mil), and the lowest rated, least-viewed college football telecast of the season on CBS (four telecasts).
Asterisk (*) indicates featured game of window.
