or


[10/31/25 - 06:31 AM]
ESPN Networks Deliver Record College Football Viewership at the Midway Point of the Season, "College GameDay" Continues on Historic Run
Through nine weeks, ESPN networks are averaging 2.3 million viewers per game, their largest audience since 2009 and an increase of 20 percent year-over-year.

[via press release from ESPN]

ESPN Networks Deliver Record College Football Viewership at the Midway Point of the Season, "College GameDay" Continues on Historic Run

· ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU post double-digit year-over-year growth

· ABC on record pace through nine weeks, with or without Big Data included

· ESPN networks have aired the most-watched game in 23 of 27 key Saturday windows

· SEC, ACC and Big 12 all experiencing year-over-year growth on ESPN networks

ESPN is delivering its strongest college football season in more than 15 years, scoring record audiences across ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU. Through nine weeks, ESPN networks are averaging 2.3 million viewers per game, their largest audience since 2009 and an increase of 20 percent year-over-year.

Even excluding Nielsen Big Data measurement, ESPN networks are up 13 percent year-over-year and on pace for their most-watched season since 2011. ABC remains on record pace with or without Big Data included.

ABC on Pace for Historic Season

ABC is registering 7.1 million avg. viewers across 28 regular-season games, up 23 percent year-over-year - the network's highest average audience through nine weeks on record (dating back to 1996). ABC also remains the most-watched network in college football, delivering 3.5 million more viewers on average than any other network, with fans watching more minutes on ABC than all other broadcast networks combined.

College GameDay En Route to Best Season Ever

College GameDay Built by The Home Depot is averaging 2.8 million viewers, up 28 percent year-over-year and on pace for its most-watched season ever. The 2025 season has featured the seven most-watched regular-season episodes in show history, led by Lee Corso's farewell in Week 1 (4.0 million viewers). The show has grown most among women (41 percent) and viewers under 25 (41 percent) and continues to outpace all competitors by 140 percent.

ESPN Networks Lead the Sport Across Every Metric

ESPN (15 percent), ESPN2 (10 percent) and ESPNU (20 percent) are all up double digits year-over-year. Collectively, ESPN networks have accounted for 62 percent of all live game minutes viewed across nationally rated linear networks, up three percentage points from last season. Across the sport, nationally rated college football games have generated 113 billion minutes watched to date, a record pace and an increase of 14 percent year-over-year.

ESPN Networks Lead Key Windows and Top Games

ESPN networks have aired the most-watched game in 23 of 27 key Saturday windows: five of eight at noon, all nine in late afternoon and all nine in primetime.

· ABC's late afternoon window averages 8.2 million viewers (up 44 percent) and primetime averages 8.0 million (up 14 percent)

· ABC's noon window averages 4.5 million viewers, up nine percent

· ESPN's Friday Night games are averaging 2.4 million viewers, up 39 percent, marking three of ESPN's five most-watched Friday games in the past decade

· ESPN networks have televised nine of the top 10 and 22 of the top 24 games this season, including all top 21 games on cable. Of the 10 games this season to surpass eight million viewers, nine have aired on ESPN networks

Conferences Capturing Year-Over-Year Growth

· SEC: SEC-controlled games are scoring a record 4.7 million avg. viewers, up 13 percent year-over-year and 46 percent over two years ago. SEC games account for a conference-high 35 percent of all minutes viewed across rated networks

· ACC: ACC-controlled games on ESPN networks are delivering 3.1 million avg. viewers, up 105 percent year-over-year and on pace for the conference's most-watched season ever

· Big 12: Big 12-controlled games on ESPN networks are up six percent year-over-year, driven by 23 percent growth in weekday games

All of ESPN. All in One Place.

ESPN offers its full suite of networks and services directly to fans within the ESPN App. Designed to give fans more choice, flexibility and access to all of ESPN, the ESPN App provides a unique viewing experience that includes integrated game stats, multiview options, a synchronized two-screen feature, a vertical video feature called Verts and a personalized SportsCenter For You, as well as ESPN BET information, ESPN Fantasy sports, commerce, and more. These new features are available to all fans who watch on the ESPN App on mobile and connected TV devices, whether they subscribe directly or through a traditional pay TV package. Bundling options available for fans include a limited time offer for the ESPN DTC Unlimited plan with Disney+ and Hulu for $29.99/month for the first 12 months. For more visit stream.espn.com.

-30-





  [october 2025]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
   


· SATURDAY NIGHT COLLEGE FOOTBALL (ABC)
· THURSDAY NIGHT COLLEGE FOOTBALL (ESPN)





most recent ratings | view all posts
[10/14/26 - 04:10 PM]
Nebraska Volleyball Serves Up a Big Saturday on FOX
Nebraska's 3-0 win averaged 945,000 viewers on FOX.

[10/14/26 - 03:50 PM]
Indiana's Win Over Nebraska Scores 6,734,000 Viewers on FOX
"Big Noon Saturday" peaked at 9,623,000 viewers.

[10/14/26 - 03:04 PM]
"College GameDay" Continues Record Pace as ESPN College Football Delivers Historic Week 6 Audiences
ABC scored its most-watched college football tripleheader of the season with 8.5 million viewers, led by Georgia-Alabama (12.2 million) and Oklahoma-Texas (9.8 million) - both record-setting rivalry audiences.

[10/14/26 - 02:50 PM]
26,697,000 Viewers for "America's Game of the Week" Highlight FOX NFL's Week 5
Said coverage was the most watched telecast of the week on any network.

[10/14/26 - 02:44 PM]
FOX Scores Most-Watched LCS Game 1 on Any Network Since 2005
10,719,000 viewers tuned in Sunday night for NLCS Game 1 on FOX and FOX Deportes.

[10/14/26 - 11:31 AM]
Top 10 Most-Watched Prime Original Films & Series for the Week of October 5
"Carrie," "Neagley," "Reacher," "Off Campus," and "Sterling Point" led all original series worldwide.

[10/14/26 - 07:29 AM]
ESPN Delivers Sixth Straight Year of Television Viewership Growth, Up 10% in Fiscal Year 2026
ESPN and ESPN on ABC each posted 11% year-over-year growth in total viewership, while ESPN2 increased 3%.

[10/12/26 - 03:33 PM]
ESPN's "Saban" Delivered Its Most-Watched Original Debut Since 2022
The premiere averaged 529,000 viewers on ESPN on Thursday, October 8, making it the most-watched original debut on ESPN since 2022 and third most-watched ESPN original debut of all time.

[10/08/26 - 03:32 PM]
CBS All-"NCIS" Tuesday Premieres +39% Higher Than Last Year
"NCIS," the series premiere of "NCIS: New York," and "NCIS: Origins" were the night's top three most-watched scripted broadcast programs.

[10/08/26 - 02:26 PM]
ABC News Wins in Late Night and Friday Night
"20/20: Home Alone" ranked as the Friday's No. 1 newsmagazine in Total Viewers, Adults 25-54, and Adults 18-49 on Friday, October 2.

[10/08/26 - 11:25 AM]
"Jimmy Kimmel Live" Leads Late Night with Live Shows from Brooklyn Academy of Music
The series topped late-night for the second week in a row this season, scoring 2.66 million Total Viewers and a 0.27 rating among Adults 18-49.

[10/07/26 - 02:01 PM]
UPtv Is the Fastest Growing Cable Network in 2026
Fueling UPtv's impressive growth are hit series "Hudson & Rex," UP Faith & Family original series "Blue Skies," which just wrapped its impressive cable debut, and acquired fan-favorite series "The Rookie."

[10/07/26 - 11:01 AM]
Top 10 Most-Watched Prime Original Films & Series for the Week of September 28
"Neagley," "Reacher," "Off Campus," "Sterling Point," and "El Juicio" led all original series worldwide.

[10/07/26 - 10:08 AM]
ESPN Studio Shows Continue Record Run with Strong September Audiences
Across ESPN's studio programming, average September viewership increased 7% year over year, continuing the strong audience trends seen throughout 2026.

[10/06/26 - 03:03 PM]
"College GameDay Built by The Home Depot" Scores Season-High Viewership from Iowa City
Plus: ABC won the Saturday noon and primetime windows in Week 5.