Not surprisingly, ratings and viewership plunged for Saturday’s Auburn/South Carolina SEC Championship Game.
Auburn’s blowout win over South Carolina earned a 6.0 final rating and 10.093 million viewers on CBS, down 46% in ratings and 44% in viewership from last year (ALA/FLA: 11.1, 17.969 mil), and down 36% and 33%, respectively, from 2008 (FLA/ALA: 9.3, 15.061 mil).
In each of the past two years, the SEC title game featured high profile programs Alabama and Florida, both times in a battle of the top two teams in the country.
The 6.0 rating is the lowest for the SEC Championship Game since 2007 (LSU/TEN: 5.9), but ranks as the third-highest rating for the event since 2001 (LSU/TEN: 7.9).
Overall, Saturday’s game ranks as the third-highest rated and second-most viewed college football game of the season.
Ratings/Viewership For SEC Championship Game Dating Back To 1996
| Year | Date | Game | Net | Rating | Viewers (000) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Sat., 12/4/10 | Auburn 56 | CBS |
6.0
|
10,093
|
| South Carolina 17 | |||||
| 2009 | Sat., 12/5/09 | Alabama 32 | CBS |
11.1
|
17,969
|
| Florida 13 | |||||
| 2008 | Sat., 12/6/08 | Florida 31 | CBS |
9.3
|
15,061
|
| Alabama 20 | |||||
| 2007 | Sat., 12/1/07 | LSU 21 | CBS |
5.9
|
—
|
| Tennessee 14 | |||||
| 2006 | Sat., 12/2/06 | Florida 38 | CBS |
4.5
|
7,011
|
| Arkansas 28 | |||||
| 2005 | Sat., 12/3/05 | Georgia 34 | CBS |
4.0
|
6,083
|
| LSU 14 | |||||
| 2004 | Sat., 12/4/04 | Auburn 38 | CBS |
4.4
|
6,772
|
| Tennessee 28 | |||||
| 2003 | Sat., 12/6/03 | LSU 34 | CBS |
4.1
|
6,395
|
| Georgia 13 | |||||
| 2002 | Sat., 12/7/02 | Georgia 30 | CBS |
3.2
|
5,126
|
| Arkansas 3 | |||||
| 2001 | Sat., 12/8/01 | LSU 31 | CBS |
7.9
|
12,465
|
| Tennessee 20 | |||||
| 2000 | Sat., 12/2/00 | Florida 28 | ABC |
5.3
|
—
|
| Auburn 6 | |||||
| 1999 | Sat., 12/4/99 | Alabama 34 | ABC |
7.0
|
—
|
| Florida 7 | |||||
| 1998 | Sat., 12/5/98 | Tennessee 24 | ABC |
8.3
|
—
|
| Mississippi State 14 | |||||
| 1997 | Sat., 12/6/97 | Tennessee 30 | ABC |
8.4
|
—
|
| Auburn 29 | |||||
| 1996 | Sat., 12/7/96 | Florida 45 | ABC |
7.0
|
—
|
| Alabama 30 |
(Rating from Sports Business Daily)
