Despite a double-digit drop in ratings and viewership, the SEC on CBS still delivered college football’s top audience of week eleven.
Mississippi State-Alabama scored a 3.3 rating and 5.42 million viewers on the SEC on CBS last Saturday, down 25% in ratings and 27% in viewership from last year (Georgia-Auburn: 4.4, 7.41M), but up 14% and 9% respectively from 2016 (Auburn-Georgia: 2.9, 4.99M).
Compared to last year’s game between the teams, which aired in primetime on ESPN, ratings fell 15% (from 3.9) and viewership 23% (from 7.03M).
The Tide’s blowout win was the most-watched college football game of week eleven, marking the third-straight week that the SEC on CBS has topped the charts.
It comfortably topped its primary head-to-head competition, the Oklahoma State-Oklahoma “Bedlam” game on ABC (2.4, 3.92M).
Earlier in the day, CBS drew a 1.4 and 2.14 million for Mississippi-Texas A&M — down a tick in ratings and 11% in viewership from last year (Florida-South Carolina: 1.5, 2.39M) and down a tick and 13% respectively from 2016 (South Carolina-Florida: 1.5, 2.45M).
The telecast ranks as the lowest rated and least-watched college football game on CBS this season. That includes the non-SEC Notre Dame-Navy game last month (1.5, 2.45M).
Saturday’s two declines were just the third and fourth on CBS this season.
The full list of week eleven college football ratings is available here.
[Numbers from CBS Sports, Nielsen via ShowBuzz Daily 11.14]
