Sans the marquee matchups that were once a staple of its Thanksgiving weekend schedule, ABC had to make do with a lesser slate.
ABC averaged a 2.9 rating and 5.03 million viewers for last Saturday’s Wisconsin-Minnesota college football game, marking the highest rated and most-watched game between the rivals in at least a decade.
Ratings increased 346% and viewership 388% from the the teams’ meeting last season, which aired on ESPN2 (0.7, 1.03M). Compared to their 2017 game on ABC, ratings and viewership increased 93% and 94% respectively (from 1.5, 2.60M).
Versus the comparable window on ABC last season, Maryland-Penn State, ratings increased 123% and viewership 131% from a 1.3 and 2.18 million.
Wisconsin-Minnesota ranked fourth for the holiday weekend, behind Alabama-Auburn on CBS (6.3, 11.43M) and a pair of FOX games, Ohio State-Michigan (7.1, 12.42M) and Oklahoma-Oklahoma State (3.25, 5.82M).
Elsewhere Saturday, ABC drew a 1.4 (-68%) and 2.43 million (-69%) for Colorado-Utah and a 1.4 (-7%) and 2.35 million (-1%) for Georgia-Georgia Tech. In its Black Friday doubleheader, Virginia-Virginia Tech drew a 1.7 and 2.84 million and Cincinnati-Memphis a 1.5 and 2.51 million (-29%).
This year marked the first time in recent memory that no ESPN/ABC game cracked a 3.0 rating over Thanksgiving weekend.
Over on ESPN, Texas A&M-LSU topped the weekend charts with a 1.6 (-11%) and 2.95 million (-10%) Saturday night. No comparison was available to the teams’ seven-overtime game last season, which was not Nielsen rated.
Earlier in the day, Clemson-South Carolina (1.0, 1.77M) soared above last year’s comparable window (Syracuse-Boston College: 0.5. 765K), but posted the worst results for that rivalry since at least 2011.
On Friday night, USF-UCF (1.1, 1.76M) plunged 63% in ratings and 69% in viewership from last year’s higher-profile matchup of Oklahoma and West Virginia (3.0, 5.63M).
Rounding out the network’s slate, Arizona-Arizona State drew 0.9 (+38%) and 1.44 million Saturday night; West Virginia-TCU a 0.7 and 1.20 million (-31%) on Friday afternoon; Mississippi-Mississippi State a 0.6 (flat) and 1.35 million (+22%) Thanksgiving night; and Baylor-Kansas a mere 0.36 (-28%) and 581,000 (-37%) Saturday afternoon.
ESPN2 topped out a 0.32 (+28%) and 612,000 (+66%) for Indiana-Purdue. Figures were available for only one ESPNU game last week, Western Michigan-Northern Illinois on November 26 (238K).
[Nielsen estimates from ShowBuzz Daily 12.4]
