ESPN and ESPN2 college football games and studio shows posted significant audience growth over last year, highlighted by:
- ESPN’s most-viewed season since 1994, highlighted by two of the network’s three most-viewed college football games (regular-season and bowls) and the most-viewed Thursday night telecast ever;
College GameDay with host Chris Fowler and analysts Lee Corso and Kirk Herbstreit - ESPN2’s most-viewed season ever, highlighted by its most-viewed game ever;
- The most-viewed season for ESPN’s College GameDay Built by The Home Depot;
- Double-digit growth for ESPN’s College Football Final and College Football Live studio programs.
ESPN
ESPN averaged 2,144,000 households, 2,874,000 viewers and a 2.2 rating, making it the most-viewed season since 1994 (2,197,000 households and 3,107,000 viewers) and highest-rated since 1999 (2.3 rating). This year saw increases of 11% (vs. 1,931,000), 12% (vs. 2,561,000) and 10% (vs. 2.0), respectively, over last year. Game highlights include:
- USC at Ohio State: ESPN’s most-viewed college football game ever – regular-season and bowls — and highest-rated in 15 years (7,243,000 households and 10,586,000 viewers, based on a 7.3 rating).
- Florida State at Miami: ESPN’s third most-viewed regular season college football game, regular season and bowls (5,820,000 households and 8,406,000 viewers, based on a 5.9 rating).
- Texas at Texas A&M: ESPN’s most-viewed Thursday night game ever (4,220,000 households and 6,691,000 viewers, based on 4.3 rating).
- Boise State at Fresno State: ESPN’s second most-viewed and second highest-rated Friday night college football game (2,401,000 households and 3,090,000 viewers, based on a 2.4 rating).
- Indiana at Iowa: ESPN’s second most-viewed noon Saturday college football telecast (3,194,000 households and 4,014,000 viewers based on a 3.2 rating).
ESPN2
ESPN2 experienced its most-viewed season ever, averaging 1,110,000 households and 1,492,000 viewers increases of 8% (vs. 1,028,000) and 11% (vs. 1,350,000). ESPN2 averaged a 1.1 rating for both seasons. Game highlights include:
- Pittsburgh at West Virginia: ESPN2’s most-viewed college football game ever, regular season and bowls (2,894,000 households and 4,137,000 viewers, based on a 2.9 rating).
- West Virginia at Cincinnati: ESPN2’s fifth most-viewed and highest-rated regular-season college football game (2,600,000 households, 3,638,000 viewers and a 2.6 rating).
- Florida at Kentucky: ESPN2’s most-viewed and highest-rated Saturday college football game (2,551,000 households, 3,643,000 viewers and a 2.6 rating).
College GameDay Built by The Home Depot
ESPN’s Saturday morning College GameDay posted its most-viewed season ever, averaging 1,711,000 households, 2,034,000 viewers and a 1.7 rating for increases of 14% (vs. 1,504,000), 12% (vs. 1,815,000) and 13% (vs. 1.5). The previous high was set in 2007.
College Football Final
College Football Final, ESPN’s Saturday night studio program generally airing at midnight ET, averaged 1,198,000 households, 1,460,000 viewers and a 1.2 rating, marking increases of 15% (vs. 1,038,000), 17% (vs. 1,250,000) and 9% (vs. 1.1).
College Football Live
College Football Live, ESPN’s weekday afternoon college football studio show, is averaging 437,000 households and 478,000 viewers for increases of 14% (vs. 385,000) and 12% (vs. 428,000). The show, which will be aired through the BCS National Championship, is currently averaging a 0.4, equal to last year at this point.
Download College GameDay images
– 30 –
-
-
-
-
-
