It took six weeks, but college football finally cracked the 3.0 mark in the ratings.
Tennessee-Georgia averaged a 3.1 rating and 5.77 million viewers on the SEC on CBS Saturday, marking the highest rated and most-watched game of the college football season. It was the first game of the season to average at least a 3.0 rating, compared to 15 at the same point last year.
Ratings still fell 21% and viewership 11% from last year’s comparable week six game (Auburn-Florida: 3.9, 6.48M).
Four of the season’s top five audiences came Saturday, a rare light day on the sporting calendar. ESPN’s primetime Alabama-Mississippi game came in second with a 2.65 and 4.89 million viewers, up 25% in ratings and viewership from week six last year (Georgia-Tennessee: 2.1, 3.90M).
The four-overtime Texas-Oklahoma Red River rivalry placed third with a 2.8 and 4.81 million on FOX, though that was down 13% in ratings and 4% in viewership from week six last year (Iowa-Michigan: 3.2, 5.02M) and down 38% and 34% respectively from the rivals’ year-ago meeting (4.5, 7.32M).
Placing fifth — behind last week’s Texas A&M-Alabama game — ABC’s top-ten matchup of Miami and Clemson on Saturday Night Football averaged a 2.6 and 4.61 million. The Tigers’ rout also declined, falling a third in ratings and 31% in viewership from Michigan State-Ohio State in week six last year (3.9, 6.68M).
A handful of games improved over last year, no small feat in the current environment. ESPN’s Florida-Texas A&M (1.8, 3.10M) and Arkansas-Auburn (1.2, 2.12M) games doubled last year’s comparable windows (Purdue-Penn State: 0.9, 1.50M; Virginia Tech-Miami: 0.55, 893K).
NBC’s primetime Florida State-Notre Dame game (1.6, 2.92M) also doubled last year, but that was an afternoon matchup against Bowling Green (0.8, 1.28M). Compared to the network’s first primetime Notre Dame game last season, against USC in week seven, ratings fell 16% (from 1.9) and viewership 8% (from 3.16M).
Rounding out the weekend action, FOX had a 1.3 (-7%) and 2.36 million (+7%) for Kansas State-TCU; ABC posted steep declines for Virginia Tech-North Carolina (1.0, -49%; 1.66M, -44%) and Texas Tech-Iowa State (0.9, -53%; 1.38M, -56%).
Returning to Tennessee-Georgia, the Bulldogs’ easy win ranked second among weekend sporting events behind Game 6 of the NBA Finals (4.2, 8.29M). It was Saturday’s top television program in adults 18-49 (1.5) and 18-34 (1.1), ahead of NBC’s Saturday Night Live (1.4; 0.9). It tied SNL in 25-54 (2.0).
Overall, the game ranks ninth among (non-NFL) live sporting events since the wave of cancellations and postponements in March. It trails the Kentucky Derby, the six NBA Finals games, and NASCAR’s return at Darlington in May.
