Another high-stakes matchup between Penn State and Ohio State delivered strong ratings for FOX.
Penn State-Ohio State averaged a 5.8 rating and 9.43 million viewers on FOX Big Noon Saturday last weekend, trailing only LSU-Alabama on CBS two weeks earlier (9.7, 16.64M) as the highest rated and most-watched game of the college football season.
FOX has now aired two of the top five games this season, with Oklahoma-Texas last month ranking fifth (4.5, 7.32M).
The Buckeyes’ win increased 9% in ratings and 3% in viewership from the teams’ meeting last year, which aired in September on ABC’s Saturday Night Football (5.3, 9.14M). Versus their 2017 game, which aired on FOX leading into a World Series game, ratings increased 2% (from 5.75) but viewership fell 4% (from 9.87M).
FOX is now averaging 3.43 million viewers for college football coverage this season (+17%). That includes an an average of 4.49 million for its Big Noon window (+16%).
In a first, ESPN’s College Gameday and the FOX Big Noon Kickoff both took place from the site of the game. Gameday won the head-to-head battle by 52% overall, and by 38% in the hour leading into the game (2.73M to 1.98M). Big Noon nonetheless averaged its best figures of the season.
Both pregame shows, it should be noted, are trending ahead of last year. Big Noon Kickoff is up 34% from last year’s lightly-promoted FOX pregame coverage, while Gameday is up ten percent.
Returning to the actual games, FOX averaged a 1.9 and 3.12 million for Purdue-Wisconsin and a 1.9 and 3.15 million for TCU-Oklahoma. There is no relevant comparison to week thirteen last year, which was rivalry weekend.
FS1 averaged a 0.7 and 1.15 million for Texas-Baylor, its top game since Utah-USC in September (0.9, 1.42M). Kansas State-TCU drew a 0.39 and 633,000 and Utah-Arizona a 0.3 and 533,000 later in the day. Figures for Michigan State-Rutgers were not immediately available.
[Nielsen estimates from Fox Sports, ESPN PR 11.26, ShowBuzz Daily 11.26]
