Even when upsetting a ranked team, Notre Dame could not attract much of an audience on NBC.
Notre Dame’s blowout win over then-#14 Utah drew a 1.7 overnight rating on NBC Saturday afternoon, down 26% from the network’s seventh Notre Dame telecast last year (NAVY/ND: 2.3), but up 13% from the seventh telecast in 2007 (DUKE/ND: 1.5).
NBC aired only six Notre Dame telecasts in 2008.
The 1.7 overnight is the highest for a Notre Dame telecast on NBC since the net’s third telecast of the season (STAN/ND: 2.1).
Four of the last five Notre Dame telecasts on NBC have had overnight ratings decline by at least a quarter. The lone exception was Tulsa/Notre Dame two weeks ago, which was even compared to last year.
For some perspective, the network’s first two telecasts this season — Purdue/Notre Dame and Michigan/Notre Dame — had increases of 77% and 67%, respectively.
Saturday’s matchup was outdrawn head-to-head by Georgia/Auburn on CBS (5.4) and regional action on ABC (4.2).
