On a quiet college football weekend, the lone top ten matchup delivered big ratings for CBS.
Georgia-Florida averaged a 4.2 rating and 6.98 million viewers on the SEC on CBS last weekend, marking the largest audience on record for the annual rivalry game (dates back to 1988).
The Bulldogs’ win, which peaked with 8.86 million viewers from 6:45-7 PM ET, also tied the highest rating for the game in a decade (2009: 4.4).
Ratings increased 8% and viewership 10% from the rivals’ meeting last season (3.9, 6.35M) and 110% and 106% respectively from their 2017 matchup (2.0, 3.38M).
Versus the same week of last season (Georgia-Kentucky), ratings jumped 62% (from 2.6) and viewership 59% (from 4.39M).
Saturday’s game was the top college football telecast of week ten, marking the second-straight week — and just the fourth time this season — that CBS has topped the charts. The network is sure to top the charts again this weekend, when it airs LSU-Alabama.
CBS is now averaging 5.95 million viewers for SEC coverage this season (+12%), its highest average at this point of the season since 2013. Georgia-Florida ranks third out of the network’s nine windows and fifth for the season regardless of network.
Jacksonville led all markets Saturday with a 28.0 rating and 52 share. Birmingham ranked second at a 24.3/41 and top-ten market Atlanta was third at a 22.1/49. Tennessee markets Knoxville (14.4/25) and Nashville (11.4/24) rounded out the top five.
[Nielsen estimates from ShowBuzz Daily 11.6, CBS Sports PR]
