The SEC on CBS dominated week seven of the college football season.
Kentucky-Georgia averaged a 3.65 rating and 6.37 million viewers on the SEC on CBS Saturday afternoon, comfortably ranking as the most-watched game of week seven. There was no comparable window last year. Compared to 2019, ratings slipped but viewership increased 4% from Alabama-Texas A&M (3.7, 6.15M).
The Bulldogs’ win ranks eighth for the season in viewership. An SEC team has played in five of the top eight games thus far, more than any other conference. The SEC on CBS has generated the week’s top college football audience in three straight weeks and four of the past five.
Nine games have cracked the six million viewer mark so far this season, compared to one at the same point of last season.
Ranking a distant second for the weekend, Alabama-Mississippi State drew a 2.0 and 3.53 million on ESPN Saturday evening — ranking third for the season on cable. ESPN drew 3.85 million for Arkansas-Georgia and 3.79 million for Auburn-LSU on October 2.
There was no comparable window last year, but ratings fell 44% and viewership 47% from Florida-LSU in 2019 (3.6, 6.61M).
In third-place, ABC drew a 2.0 and 3.45 million for Purdue’s upset of Iowa — up 80% in ratings and 81% in viewership from UCF-Memphis last year (1.1, 1.90M) and up 24% and 35% respectively from FSU-Clemson in 2019 (1.6, 2.54M).
ABC also took the fourth spot with a 1.9 and 3.43 million for TCU-Oklahoma, up 49% in ratings and 56% in viewership from last year (North Carolina-FSU: 1.3, 2.20M) but down 12% and 7% respectively from ’19 (2.2, 3.70M).
Rounding out the top five, FOX drew a 1.85 and 3.13 million for Oklahoma State-Texas in its Big Noon window, up 106% and 115% respectively from last year (Kansas-West Virginia: 0.9, 1.46M). The comparable 2019 window was the Oklahoma-Texas Red River rivalry and had a 4.5 and 7.32 million.
The Noon window was particularly competitive in week seven. FOX barely outdrew the competing Florida-LSU game on ESPN, which had a 1.65 (+10%) and 2.93 million (+14%). CBS was also a factor with a 1.55 and 2.40 million for Auburn-Arkansas.
In other action on broadcast, FOX drew a 0.9 and 1.53 million for UCLA-Washington in primetime and ABC brought up the rear with a 0.8 (-41%) and 1.37 million (-39%) for UCF-Cincinnati — its lowest rated and least-watched game of the season.
Beyond the Saturday slate, ESPN posted a pair of gains for a Friday night doubleheader. Clemson-Syracuse pulled a 1.2 and 2.12 million, up 147% and 154% respectively from SMU-Tulane last year (0.5, 832K), and Cal-Oregon drew a 0.9 (+23%) and 1.45 million (+25%).
As for the smaller networks, ESPN2 crossed the million viewer threshold for just the fifth time this season with Nebraska-Minnesota (0.6, 1.06M). FS1 topped the million mark for the fourth time with Michigan State-Indiana (0.75, 1.28M).
The full list of week seven college football ratings is available here.
[Nielsen estimates from ShowBuzz Daily 10.19, network PR]
