It was not much of a game, but Ohio State-Nebraska still delivered one of the top five ratings of the college football season.
Ohio State-Nebraska averaged a 3.5 rating and 6.14 million viewers on ABC’s Saturday Night Football last weekend, marking the highest rated and most-watched Big Ten game of the season. It ranks fifth regardless of conference, with each of the other ‘power five’ conferences (and Notre Dame) represented in the top four.
The Buckeyes’ easy win was the top college football game of week five, marking the first time this season that the Big Ten has topped the charts.
Ratings declined 34% and viewership 33% from a top-ten Ohio State-Penn State game last year (5.3, 9.14M), but increased 30% and 33% respectively from 2017 (Clemson-Virginia Tech: 2.7, 4.61M).
Earlier in the day, ABC averaged a 2.8 and 4.40 million for North Carolina’s near-upset of Clemson — up 56% in ratings and 59% in viewership from last year (Baylor-Oklahoma: 1.8, 2.77M) and up 47% and 52% respectively from 2017 (Florida State-Wake Forest: 1.9, 2.89M).
The network also drew a 2.0 (-33%) and 3.03 million (-32%) for Northwestern-Wisconsin.
Over on ESPN, Texas A&M-Arkansas topped the week five charts with a 1.6 and 2.58 million — up 60% in ratings and 62% in viewership from the same matchup last year (1.0, 1.60M), but down 11% and 8% respectively from 2017 (Vanderbilt-Florida: 1.8, 2.82M).
ESPN also posted an increase for Mississippi State-Auburn in primetime, which had a 1.2 (+9%) and 1.99 million (+5%).
Rounding out the Saturday slate, UCLA-Arizona had a 1.0 (-9%) and 1.63 million (-20%) late Saturday night and Iowa State-Baylor a 0.8 and 1.25 million in the afternoon.
As for the weeknight games, ESPN drew a 0.9 and 1.41 million for Arizona State-Cal and a 0.8 and 1.20 million for Duke-Virginia Tech last Friday night, and a 0.5 (-25%) and 730,000 (-28%) for Navy-Memphis last Thursday.
Moving down the dial, ESPN2 had a dreadful Saturday last weekend with all four of its games down at least 50%. Middle Tennessee-Iowa topped the charts at a 0.30 (-57%) and 529,000 (-54%).
Figures were available for only one ESPNU game, UNLV-Wyoming in primetime (137K, -63%).
[Nielsen estimates from ShowBuzz Daily 10.1]
