or


[10/04/24 - 07:50 AM]
ABC Is College Football's Most-Watched Network, Highlighted by Year-Over-Year Growth and Significant Demographic Gains
ABC, which ranks No. 1 in average audience and total minutes viewed, has aired six of the top seven most-viewed games of the season and seven of the top 10.

[via press release from ESPN]

ABC is College Football's Most-Watched Network, Highlighted by Year-Over-Year Growth and Significant Demographic Gains

· ABC Saturday Night Football is CFB's Top TV Window, Up 123% Year-Over-Year

· ABC Accounts for 6 of Top 7 and 7 of Top 10 Most-Viewed Games

ABC is the most-watched network for college football through the first month of the 2024 season as millions of fans have tuned in for statement-making matchups, upset bids, last-second thrillers and more. ABC, which ranks No. 1 in average audience and total minutes viewed, has aired six of the top seven most-viewed games of the season and seven of the top 10.

ABC Saturday Night Football Presented by Capital One is averaging 7.3 million viewers - up 123 percent year-over-year, the franchise's best audience through the first five weeks of the season since 2011. In primetime, the top five games of 2024 thus far have all aired on ABC.

Through September, ABC is averaging 5.5 million viewers for the network's presentation of college football, marking ABC's best five-week start since 2016 and second best since 2011. ABC's audience is up 32 percent year-over-year with significant growth in the P18-34 demo, which is up 43 percent over 2023.

ABC has been responsible for 34 percent of live game consumption across Nielsen-rated networks, nearly two times more than the nearest competitor, and the network is averaging 78 percent more viewers than any other competitor.

ABC Wins the Windows

All three of ABC's Saturday windows (noon, late afternoon and prime) are averaging at least 4 million viewers, with SNF on top with 7.3 million viewers, followed by the 3:30 p.m. ET (4.4 million) and noon (4.2 million) windows.

ABC Reigns Supreme with 7 of the Top 10 Most-Viewed Games Across All Networks

Rank Window Matchup P2+ Viewers

1 Primetime Sept. 28: Georgia at Alabama 12.0 Million

3 Primetime Sept. 1: USC vs. LSU 8.6 Million

4 Primetime Aug. 31: Notre Dame at Texas A&M 7.9 Million

5 Noon Aug. 31: Clemson vs. Georgia 7.6 Million

6 Primetime Sept. 14: Georgia at Kentucky 6.6 Million

7 Afternoon Aug. 31: Miami at Florida 6.4 Million

9 Primetime Sept. 21: Tennessee at Oklahoma 6.3 Million

SEC on ABC Starts Strong

The debut season of the new SEC on ABC franchise has delivered 6.2 million average viewers through the first 13 SEC-controlled games. The top SEC on ABC Saturday game each week averages 7.4 million viewers, and the SEC has been the most-watched conference on Nielsen-rated networks. 38 percent of live game consumption across all networks has featured an SEC squad in action.

ACC and Big 12 Drive Significant Viewership

ACC teams have been featured in a third of the most-watched games on ESPN platforms through the first month of the season, including Clemson in the Aflac Kickoff Classic (7.6 million, ABC), Miami in their season opener at Sunshine State foe Florida (6.4 million, ABC) and the top game on cable this fall, the Aer Lingus College Football Classic bout between Florida State and Georgia Tech on ESPN (5 million).

Additionally, the ACC and Big 12 lead the way on ESPN with the most-viewed games across all cable networks:

· Florida State vs. Georgia Tech: 5.0 million

· North Dakota State at Colorado: 4.8 million

· Boston College at Florida State: 4.4 million

· Virginia Tech at Miami: 3.3 million

The college football season continues in Week 6 with 10 Top 25 teams and 75 games set for ESPN platforms, including ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, SEC Network, ACC Network, ESPN+ and ESPN Radio.

-30-





  [october 2024]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
  


· SATURDAY NIGHT COLLEGE FOOTBALL (ABC)





most recent ratings | view all posts
[05/12/26 - 12:01 PM]
Netflix Top 10: Week of May 4 - The Critters of "Swapped" Soar to No. 1 in This Week's Top 10
The pursuit of justice is action-packed in "Man on Fire," which set the English TV list ablaze at No. 1 with 12.6 million views.

[05/08/26 - 09:18 AM]
TNT Sports Delivers Its Most-Watched MLB Regular Season Start Since 2015
The Yankees/Mariners season opener on March 31 delivered 562,000 viewers and peaked at 735,000, making it the most watched opener on TBS since 2012.

[05/06/26 - 10:01 AM]
Strong Month of Sports Propels ESPN Studio Shows to Record Viewership for April
The entire lineup of ESPN studio shows was up 21% overall in viewership over April of 2025 and up 10% year-over-year (YOY) in the coveted Persons ages 18-49 demographic.

[05/05/26 - 03:52 PM]
ESPN Networks Aired Its Most Viewed First Round of the Current Rights Deal of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs
ESPN also delivered three of the top five matchups in the First Round including the Philadelphia Flyers-Pittsburgh Penguins Game 1 (2.1 million viewers).

[05/05/26 - 03:36 PM]
NBC and Peacock Deliver the Most-Watched First Round Game 7 in NBA History for Saturday Night's 76ers-Celtics
Saturday night's matchup between the Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics averaged a Total Audience Delivery (TAD) of 11.0 million viewers on NBC and Peacock.

[05/05/26 - 02:33 PM]
TNT Sports Delivers Its Most Watched NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs First Round Ever
Game 7 of the Montreal/Tampa Bay series on Sunday, May 3 averaged 2.3 million viewers, the most-watched First Round game on cable ever featuring a Canadian team.

[05/05/26 - 02:24 PM]
FOX Saturday Baseball Flexes Double-Digit Season-to-Date Viewership Increase
2,130,000 viewers tuned-in to FOX on Saturday, May 2, for a two-game slate highlighted by the Cardinals' 3-2 Victory over the Dodgers in most of the country.

[05/05/26 - 12:01 PM]
Netflix Top 10: Week of April 27 - The Hunt Continues as "Apex" Takes No. 1 for a Second Week
Plus: Revenge might be a dish best served cold, but "Man on Fire" served it up hot, reaching No. 1 on the English TV list with 11 million views.

[05/03/26 - 02:40 PM]
NBC Sports Delivers the Most-Watched Kentucky Derby on Record, Averaging 19.6 Million Viewers on NBC & Peacock in Historic "Run for the Roses"
Viewership peaked at 24.4 million viewers from 7-7:15 p.m. ET, as jockey Jose Ortiz guided Golden Tempo around the final turn to win by a neck over Renegade, and made Cherie DeVaux the first woman to train a Kentucky Derby winner.

[05/01/26 - 01:33 PM]
"Live with Kelly and Mark" Jumps Back from Spring Break with Fifth Straight Week of Growth Among Both Total Viewers and Households
Dominating the New York market, "Live with Kelly and Mark" towers over its closest competition this season by double and triple digits in Total Viewers, Adults 25-54 and Women 25-54.

[05/01/26 - 08:05 AM]
NBC Sports' NBA Playoff Viewership on NBC & Peacock Up 58% vs. Comparable Coverage Last Year Through First 13 Games
This is the first time in 24 years that NBC Sports is presenting the NBA Playoffs.

[04/30/26 - 02:17 PM]
ABC News Is #1 in Total Viewers Sunday Morning and in Late-Night
ABC News' "Nightline" ranks No. 1 in Total Viewers (931,000) for the week of April 20.

[04/29/26 - 04:01 PM]
"American Idol" Scores 5.3 Million Total Viewers with Biggest Audience in Over 2 Months During Taylor Swift Night
Monday's episode was the No. 1 entertainment program on the night among Total Viewers (5.34 million) and Adults 18-49 (0.42 rating).

[04/29/26 - 02:41 PM]
Record Breaker! ESPN Airs Most-Viewed First Round Game 5 Ever on Cable, Extending Milestone Run of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs
Philadelphia Flyers-Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday averaged 2 million viewers, up 190% vs. ESPN's First Round Game 5 average last year.

[04/28/26 - 03:41 PM]
TNT Sports Continues Viewership Surge for 2026 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs
Minnesota's Game 4 victory over Dallas on Saturday averaged 1.9 million viewers on TBS, truTV and HBO Max.