FOX Big Noon Saturday continues to be one of the industry’s recent success stories.
Notre Dame-Wisconsin averaged a 3.1 rating and 5.37 million viewers on the latest edition of FOX Big Noon Saturday, ranking as the highest rated and most-watched college football game of the weekend. FOX “Big Noon” games account for three of the nine most-watched games this season. [For all the numbers this season, check the college football ratings page.]
FOX is now averaging 4.13 million viewers for college football games this season, up 30% from 2019 (3.71M) and its highest four-week average ever.
Notre Dame’s win increased 94% in ratings and 103% in viewership from Kansas State-Oklahoma last year (1.6, 2.67M). Compared to Michigan-Wisconsin in 2019, ratings were flat and viewership increased 13% (from 4.73M). The Iowa State-Baylor lead-out did not fare as well, its 1.1 and 2.01 million both down 26%.
Ranking second for the weekend, ABC pulled a 2.5 and 4.50 million for West Virginia-Oklahoma on Saturday Night Football — up 58% in ratings and 53% in viewership from Florida State-Miami last year (1.6, 2.95M) and up 15% and 24% respectively from 2019 (Oklahoma State-Texas: 2.2, 3.64M).
Saturday Night Football is now averaging 6.5 million viewers, the highest of any college football window this season.
The SEC on CBS ranked third with a 2.4 and 4.07 million for Texas A&M-Arkansas, the highest for that rivalry since 2014 — but down 5% in ratings and 8% in viewership from Mississippi State-LSU last year (2.5, 4.44M) and down 21% and 13% respectively from 2019 (Auburn-Texas A&M: 3.0, 4.66M).
CBS also chipped in a mere 0.54 and 804,000 for Boise State-Utah State earlier in the day.
Topping the charts on cable, Tennessee-Florida drew a 1.75 and 3.28 million on ESPN Saturday night — up 52% in ratings and 57% in viewership from last year (Alabama-Missouri: 1.2, 2.09M) and up 119% and 140% respectively from 2019 (Oregon-Stanford: 0.8, 1.37M). The Gators’ easy win ranks as the second-most watched game on cable this season.
Overall, ESPN had its most-watched college football quadrupleheader since 2018. The Arizona-Oregon nightcap had a 0.9 and 1.66 million, up 109% in ratings and 108% in viewership from last year (Troy-BYU: 0.45, 795K) and up 4% and 19% respectively from 2019 (UCLA-Washington State: 0.9, 1.39M).
NC State’s midday upset of Clemson drew a 1.2 and 2.19 million, up 97% in ratings and 103% in viewership from last year (Army-Cincinnati: 0.6, 1.08M) and up 28% and 42% respectively from 2019 (Louisville-FSU: 1.0, 1.54M).
Finally, LSU-Mississippi State drew a 1.1 and 1.79 million in the Noon ET window — actually down 25% in ratings and 33% in viewership from last year (Florida-Mississippi: 1.5, 2.67M) and down 30% and 27% respectively from 2019 (Tennessee-Florida: 1.6, 2.46M).
ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC each had their most-watched week four of the season since 2017. In addition to the previously-mentioned Saturday Night Football game, ABC had a 1.6 (+89%) and 2.81 million (+93%) for Rutgers-Michigan and a 1.0 (+72%) and 1.73 million (+73%) for Texas Tech-Texas.
Also hitting a high over the weekend was Big Ten Network, which drew its largest audience of the season — 1.08 million viewers — for Akron-Ohio State. Viewership increased 20% from Nebraska-Illinois in 2019 (896K). FS1 scored its second-largest audience of the season for Nebraska-Michigan State, which had a 0.9 and 1.66 million.
[Nielsen estimates from ShowBuzz Daily 9.28, network PR]
I have heard so many call out Fox for placing top matchups at noon. Many said it was foolish. Yet again, we see the power of Football. too many people are quick to point to times and venues and extra curricular nonsense…..give the Public a good football game and a good matchup, and more often than not, they will show up…..quite frankly, the only thing that impedes this is moving around the schedule causing confusion as to when the game will be on.