or


[05/01/07 - 10:24 AM]
Saturday Night Football Will Return on Abc
Confirmed broadcasts include Tennessee at California (September 1), USC at Nebraska (September 15), Washington State at USC and Iowa at Wisconsin (September 22), and Notre Dame at UCLA (October 6).
[via press release from ESPN]

Saturday Night Football Will Return on ABC

12-week primetime college football series will include more six- and 12-day picks; Debuts September 1 with Tennessee at California

After a successful inaugural season, ESPN on ABC's Saturday Night Football Presented by Southwest Airlines, broadcast television's first-ever weekly college football primetime series, will return beginning September 1. The debut season of Saturday Night Football out-delivered the previous year's programming in the same time slot by 24%, performed strongly in key demographic categories and won the night for all of television on six occasions (additional audience information below).

"The response to this unprecedented college football showcase was overwhelming," said George Bodenheimer, president, ESPN, Inc. and ABC Sports. "The success of this series further demonstrates our leadership position with college sports fans and we applaud the conferences for working with us to maximize this opportunity."

Steve McPherson, president, ABC Entertainment, added, "The addition of Saturday Night Football to our line-up gave sports fans access to great college football coverage. It also delivered a new audience for ABC, strengthening our schedule for Saturday and overall. We're glad to have this successful franchise back for the coming season, and hope to continue the partnership for a long time to come."

The 12-week Saturday Night Football series, highlighting ABC's 42nd season of extensive college football action, will feature high profile inter-conference matchups and top conference showdowns involving teams from the Pac-10, Big Ten, ACC, Big 12 and BIG EAST as well as Notre Dame. Every telecast, beginning September 1 and concluding December 1 with the Dr Pepper Big 12 Championship, will kick off at 8 p.m. ET and be offered in high definition on ABC HD.

Confirmed Saturday Night Football broadcasts include Tennessee at California (September 1), USC at Nebraska (September 15), Washington State at USC and Iowa at Wisconsin (September 22), and Notre Dame at UCLA (October 6). The schedule does not include games on September 8 and October 13 when ESPN on ABC will televise NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races from Richmond and Charlotte, respectively.

Every Saturday Night Football window from September 29 to November 24 will feature game selections on a six- or 12-day basis (except Notre Dame at UCLA on October 6), ensuring Saturday Night Football will televise the best matchups available throughout the season.

In addition to the confirmed games on the schedule, four Big Ten and three Pac-10 matchups have been designated for a primetime telecast on ABC, ESPN or ESPN2 (specific games in the schedule below). Network assignments for those contests will be determined six or 12 days before the date of the game. The Saturday Night Football schedule also provides the flexibility to select the best available games from the Big 12, ACC and BIG EAST on a six- or 12-day basis as the season progresses.

Schedule highlights of announced primetime games (for ABC, ESPN or ESPN2) and available for a Saturday Night Football telecast include:

USC, last year's Rose Bowl winner and a consensus pre-season National Championship contender, will be televised five times: at Nebraska (Sept. 15 on Saturday Night Football), Washington State (Sept. 22 on Saturday Night Football), at Washington (Sept. 29), Oregon State (Nov. 3) and at California (Nov. 10).

Last year's National Championship game participant and defending Big Ten conference champion Ohio State will appear three times: at Minnesota (Sept. 29), at Purdue (Oct. 6) and at Penn State (Oct. 27).

Michigan, led by potential Heisman Trophy candidates Mike Hart and Chad Henne, at Big Ten rival Illinois October 20.

UCLA, which upset USC in last year's final regular-season game, will host Notre Dame October 6 on Saturday Night Football.

Saturday Night Football Scores Large Audiences

The debut season of Saturday Night Football was successful in overall viewership and across key demographics, winning the night on numerous occasions.

Saturday Night Football averaged 5,567,000 households, a 5.0 rating and 7,886,000 total viewers, out-delivering the programming in the same window the previous year by 24% (vs. 4,490,000), 22% (vs. 4.1) and 27% (vs. 6,212,000), respectively.

� The series posted significant growth in key demographics, including:

� Adults 18-49: a 2.7 rating, men 25-54: a 4.1 rating, men 18-49: a 3.7 rating, men 18-34: a 3.2 rating for increases of 29% (vs. 2.1), 52% (vs. 2.7), 61% (vs. 2.3) and 68% (vs. 1.9), respectively, over the previous year in the same time frame.

On six occasions, Saturday Night Football was the highest-rated and most-viewed program on television that evening, including in total viewers and the key adult 18-49 demographic.

The Notre Dame at USC telecast (November 25) averaged 10,048,000 households, a 9.0 rating and 14,647,000 total viewers, making it the second most-viewed regular-season college football game on any network since November 30, 1996 (Florida at Florida State on ABC averaged 10,593,000 households) behind Michigan at Ohio State on ABC November 18, 2006 (14,479,000 households, a 13.0 rating and 21,037,000 total viewers).

2007 SATURDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL SCHEDULE ON ABC

Game selections on September 1, 15 and 22 and October 6 have been determined.

Selected Big Ten and Pac-10 games from September 29 through November 24 are designated for primetime on ABC, ESPN or ESPN2 with network assignments to be determined on a six- or 12-day basis (except Notre Dame at UCLA on October 6).

ACC, Big 12 and BIG EAST Saturday Night Football game selections will be determined on a six- or 12-day basis.

Date Time (ET) Game

Sept. 1 8 p.m. Tennessee at California

Sept. 15 8 p.m. USC at Nebraska

Sept. 22 8 p.m. Washington State at USC and Iowa at Wisconsin ^

Sept. 29 8 p.m. TBD: Ohio State at Minnesota* and/or USC at Washington*

Oct. 6 8 p.m. Notre Dame at UCLA (confirmed); potential additional games: Ohio State at Purdue** and/or ACC or Big 12 or BIG EAST

Oct. 20 8 p.m. TBD: Michigan at Illinois*** or ACC or Big 12

Oct. 27 8 p.m. TBD: Ohio State at Penn State*** or Big 12 or BIG EAST

Nov. 3 8 p.m. TBD: Oregon State at USC*** or ACC or Big 12 or BIG EAST

Nov. 10 8 p.m. TBD: USC at California*** or ACC or Big 12 or BIG EAST

Nov. 17 8 p.m. TBD: ACC, Big 12 or BIG EAST

Nov. 24 8 p.m. TBD: ACC, Big 12 or BIG EAST

Dec. 1 8 p.m. Dr Pepper Big 12 Championship Game

^ Split national telecast

* One or both games will be on ABC; if one game on ABC, the other will be televised in primetime on ESPN or ESPN2

** Notre Dame at UCLA is confirmed for Saturday Night Football; Ohio State at Purdue will be televised in primetime on ABC, ESPN or ESPN2.

*** Selected game will be in primetime on ABC, ESPN or ESPN2





  [may 2007]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
  


· SATURDAY NIGHT COLLEGE FOOTBALL (ABC)




[02/27/26 - 01:28 PM]
Paramount to Acquire Warner Bros. Discovery to Form Next-Generation Global Media and Entertainment Company
The transaction has been unanimously approved by the Boards of Directors of both companies and is expected to close in Q3 2026, subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory clearances and approval by WBD shareholders, with a vote expected in the early spring of 2026.
[02/27/26 - 12:30 PM]
The Jaw-Dropping Fifth and Final Season of Starz's Hit Drama Series, "Power Book III: Raising Kanan" Set to Premiere June 12
To date, the series has accumulated over 21 billion minutes viewed across all episodes and remains one of Starz's top-performing series.
[02/27/26 - 09:12 AM]
Team USA Hockey Olympic Gold Medalists Hilary Knight, Jack Hughes and Quinn Hughes to Appear Together on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" on Monday, March 2
The episode will also feature guests Nicole Kidman, Luke Thompson and a cooking demo by Chef Mario Carbone.

[02/27/26 - 08:12 AM]
Paul Wesley Joins Season Three of Hit Apple TV Series "The Buccaneers"
Wesley will play the role as Frank, a mysterious but charming stranger who arrives into Nan and Mrs. St. George's world, turning it upside down.

[02/27/26 - 07:31 AM]
Peacock to Exclusively Stream Focus Features' "Hamnet" Beginning March 6
Directed by two-time Academy Award-winning director Chloé Zhao, the film tells the untold story behind one of Shakespeare's most memorable works and celebrates the power of imagination and the creative spirit.

[02/27/26 - 07:01 AM]
Prime Video Debuts First-Look Image of Ryan Hurst as Kratos and Callum Vinson as Atreus On Set of New Series "God of War"
The series is co-produced by Sony Pictures Television and Amazon MGM Studios in association with PlayStation Productions and Tall Ship Productions, and has received a two-season order.
[02/27/26 - 06:01 AM]
Video: Netflix and Apple TV Join Forces to Stream Formula 1 Thrills
The entire new season of "Formula 1: Drive to Survive" is now on Netflix globally and Apple TV in the U.S.
[02/26/26 - 08:46 PM]
"Dandelion": Netflix Adapts "Gintama" Creator Hideaki Sorachi's Debut Work into New Anime Series
Set within the Send-Off Department of the Japanese Angel Federation, Dandelion follows "Angels" Tetsuo Tanba and Misaki Kurogane as they scramble to track down Earthbound spirits - souls unable to move on and find peace - and gently guide them to pass on.
[02/26/26 - 06:01 PM]
Video: "Still Shining" - Official Trailer - Netflix
After falling in love as teens, two young adults drift apart - only to reunite 10 years later and confront their heartbreak, growth and new challenges.
[02/26/26 - 02:46 PM]
Netflix Declines to Raise Offer for Warner Bros.
"The transaction we negotiated would have created shareholder value with a clear path to regulatory approval. However, we've always been disciplined, and at the price required to match Paramount Skydance's latest offer, the deal is no longer financially attractive, so we are declining to match the Paramount Skydance bid," said co-CEOs Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters.
[02/26/26 - 02:19 PM]
"Live with Kelly and Mark" Soars to Season High with Best Audience in Over a Year
"Live" has now ranked as the No. 1 talk show in syndication for 157 consecutive weeks across all key measures.
[02/26/26 - 02:08 PM]
Britbox Unveils Spring Slate with "The Lady" Starring Mia McKenna-Bruce; Premieres March 18
Other highlights include the return of "Hope Street" and the debut of "Mudtown."
[02/26/26 - 01:36 PM]
Paramount Comments on Warner Bros. Discovery Board's Determination of Paramount's Proposal as Superior
David Ellison, Chairman and CEO of Paramount, said: "We are pleased WBD's Board has unanimously affirmed the superior value of our offer, which delivers to WBD shareholders superior value, certainty and speed to closing."
[02/26/26 - 01:16 PM]
Warner Bros. Discovery Board of Directors Determines Revised Proposal from Paramount Skydance Constitutes a "Company Superior Proposal"
Under the terms of the Netflix merger agreement, this notice triggers a four business day period during which Netflix has the right to propose revisions to the Netflix merger agreement so that the PSKY proposal would cease to constitute a "Company Superior Proposal."
[02/26/26 - 01:00 PM]
FOX Television Network Renews Hit Joel McHale Series "Animal Control" for Season Five
In addition, the first three seasons of the series are currently streaming on Netflix, and the show has been sold in territories around the world.