Recent sports TV ratings, including a slight bump for “Bedlam” on ABC, decent numbers for Notre Dame’s rout of FSU, and ESPN’s basketball documentary.
Bedlam Up Slightly on ABC
Last Saturday’s Oklahoma State-Oklahoma college football game had a 2.4 rating and 3.92 million viewers on ABC, up 2% in ratings and 4% in viewership from last year (Iowa-Wisconsin: 2.4, 3.78M) but down 20% in both measures from last year (Pittsburgh-Clemson: 3.0, 4.93M).
Compared to previous editions of the “Bedlam” rivalry, ratings increased 71% and viewership 58% from last year’s matchup on FS1 (1.4, 2.49M), but declined 23% and 19% respectively from 2016 on FOX (3.1, 4.82M).
The Sooners’ high-scoring win was topped head-to-head by Alabama’s rout of Mississippi State on CBS (3.3, 5.42M).
In other action, Clemson-Boston College had a 2.4 (-38%) and 3.89 million (-42%) on Saturday Night Football, and Wisconsin-Penn State drew a 1.5 (-25%) and 2.27 million (-24%). Of ABC’s 34 college football windows this season, 22 have declined.
ND Rout of FSU Up on NBC
NBC earned a 1.9 rating and 3.17 million viewers for Florida State-Notre Dame last Saturday night, up 58% in ratings and 67% in viewership from Notre Dame’s sixth home game last season (vs. Wake Forest: 1.2, 1.90M). Last year’s game aired in the afternoon. Of the 20 total primetime Notre Dame games on NBC, it ranks 14th in viewership.
ESPN Hoops Doc Ends With High
The final episode of the ESPN documentary “Basketball: A Love Story” had a 0.50 rating and 739,000 viewers Tuesday night, marking the most-watched episode of the ten-part series. The previous high was 730,000 the previous week. Tuesday’s penultimate episode had a 0.48 and 697,000.
[Numbers from Nielsen via ShowBuzz Daily 11.13; Programming Insider 11.14]
