A rivalry without much juice, at least this season, delivered a modest boost to ABC’s Saturday Night Football ratings.
UCLA-USC earned a 2.5 rating and 4.0 million viewers on ABC’s Saturday Night Football last weekend, up 9% in ratings and 6% in viewership from Oklahoma State-West Virginia last year (2.3, 3.83M) and up a tick and 5% respectively from TCU-Oklahoma in 2015 (2.4, 3.86M).
Compared to the rivals’ meeting last season, which aired on ESPN after 10 PM ET, ratings increased 79% from a 1.4 and viewership 76% from 2.3 million. Their 2015 game aired on ABC as part of a midday regional window, earning a 2.6 and 4.2 million.
The Trojans’ win, which had 4.1 million with streaming included, ranked second for the weekend behind Michigan-Wisconsin on FOX (3.3, 5.2M).
Airing opposite that Michigan-Wisconsin game, Virginia-Miami scored a 2.1 and 3.3 million — up 62% in ratings and 80% in viewership from Wisconsin-Purdue last year (1.3, 1.9M) but down 46% and 45% respectively from Michigan-Penn State in 2015 (3.9, 6.1M). It had 3.4 million with streaming included.
Rounding out a day of increases, Illinois-Ohio State scored a 1.9 (+12%) and 3.09 million (+20%). It had 3.12 million including streaming.
Last weekend’s college football ratings chart is available here.
[Wknd. numbers via ShowBuzz Daily 11.21]
