If no match for last year’s primetime game on CBS, Texas A&M’s upset of Alabama was nonetheless a strong draw Saturday night.
Alabama-Texas A&M averaged a 4.5 rating and 8.33 million viewers in the annual primetime edition of the SEC on CBS, ranking second for the season in ratings and viewership behind Georgia-Clemson in week one (4.6, 8.86M).
CBS now owns two of the season’s top three audiences, with Alabama-Florida in week three ranking third (4.15, 7.86M). It averaged a season-high peak audience of 12.26 million from 11:30-11:45 PM ET, well above the peak for Georgia-Clemson (9.7M). [The full list of 2021 college football TV ratings is available here.]
The Aggies’ upset win declined 15% in ratings and 13% in viewership from last year’s primetime game on CBS (Georgia-Alabama: 5.3, 9.61M) and down 16% and 11% respectively from the network’s primetime game in 2019 (Notre Dame-Georgia: 5.4, 9.35M).
Week six featured three of the season’s top nine audiences. Earlier in the day, FOX averaged a 3.7 and 6.90 million for the top-five clash of Penn State and Iowa — ranking seventh for the season and ninth all-time among games on FOX (excluding bowls and conference championships).
The Hawkeyes’ win jumped 185% in ratings and 193% in viewership from the same window last year (Kansas State-TCU: 1.3, 2.36M) and 164% and 212% respectively from 2019 (Northwestern-Nebraska: 1.4, 2.21M). FOX is now averaging 3.98 million viewers for college football this season, up 30% from 2019 and its best start on record.
Earlier in the day on ABC, Oklahoma-Texas turned in a 3.4 and 5.94 million — up 21% in ratings and 23% in viewership from the rivals’ meeting last season (2.8, 4.81M), but down 25% and 19% respectively from their 2019 matchup (4.5, 7.32M), both of which aired on FOX.
The Sooners’ comeback win, which peaked with 8.3 million, trails only the 2019 game as the most-watched in the rivalry over the past decade. It also delivered ABC’s second-best Noon ET college football audience in the past five years, behind Penn State-Minnesota in 2019 (6.8M).
For the season, it ranks ninth among all games and second in the Noon ET window. FOX drew 7.73 million for Oregon-Ohio State in week two.
In fourth place, ABC drew a 2.6 and 4.63 million for Michigan-Nebraska on Saturday Night Football — on par with Miami-Clemson last year (2.6, 4.61M) but down 34% and 31% respectively from 2019 (Michigan State-Ohio State: 3.9, 6.68M).
Rounding out the top five, Georgia-Auburn scored a 2.6 and 4.58 million in the traditional SEC on CBS window — down 16% in ratings and 21% in viewership from last year (Tennessee-Georgia: 3.1, 5.77M) and down 34% and 29% respectively from 2019 (Auburn-Florida: 3.9, 6.48M).
In other action on broadcast, FOX drew a 1.5 (-45%) and 2.79 million (-42%) for Maryland-Ohio State opposite Texas-Oklahoma, comfortably its least-watched Noon ET window this season. ABC drew a 1.3 and 2.24 million for Boise State-BYU, up 40% and 63% respectively from last year (Texas Tech-Iowa state: 0.9, 1.38M). FOX brought up the rear with a mere 0.8 and 1.38 million for Utah-USC in primetime.
The weekend’s top cable game was Arkansas-Mississippi on ESPN, which drew a 1.3 and 2.23 million — down 27% in ratings and 28% in viewership from Florida-Texas A&M last year (1.8, 3.10M) but up 47% and 49% respectively from 2019 (Purdue-Penn State: 0.9, 1.50M).
As for the pregame shows, College Gameday averaged 1.85 million viewers — up 4% from the equivalent week in 2019. It averaged 2.4 million in its final hour, doubling FOX “Big Noon Kickoff” in the same window (1.21M). For its part, “Big Noon” was up 30% from 2019 in that final hour.
[Nielsen estimates from ShowBuzz Daily 10.12, network PR]
