CBS Tops College Football Ratings as ABC Faces Season-Low Audience
CBS secured its first competitive weekend lead in college football since 2024, driven by a 5.97 million-viewer audience for Ohio State vs. Iowa. This success coincided with a significant ratings drop for ABC, whose top game drew its lowest audience in over two years.
Key points
- CBS’s 3:30 PM ET slot for Ohio State vs. Iowa averaged 5.97 million viewers, peaking at 6.96 million, marking the network’s highest competitive weekend audience since the 2024 USC-Michigan game.
- ABC’s top game, Alabama vs. Mississippi State, averaged only 5.08 million viewers, the lowest peak for the network’s top game in more than two years, despite a 19% increase from the same matchup last year.
- ESPN’s 'College GameDay' drew its season-high audience of 2.88 million from Iowa, potentially boosting viewership for the CBS broadcast.
- ABC’s primetime game, Miami vs. Clemson, saw a 56% drop in viewership compared to the previous year’s Alabama-Georgia matchup, averaging 4.63 million.
- FOX won the Friday night head-to-head ratings battle against ESPN in four of the first five weeks of the season.
Background
CBS has historically dominated college football ratings during its SEC package years but has struggled since shifting to Big Ten coverage. In contrast, ABC has consistently led the 'Big Noon' window, winning four of the first five weeks this season. Recent Nielsen methodology changes, including out-of-home viewing and Big Data integration, have influenced overall measurement, with total college football viewing down 2% year-over-year through Week 5.
How outlets are covering it
Sports Media Watch highlights CBS’s rare competitive weekend victory and ABC’s unusually soft performance, noting that ABC’s top game drew its fewest viewers in over two years. CBS Sports focuses on the individual performance of Ohio State receiver Jeremiah Smith, ranking him among the top college receivers of the 21st century due to his dominant stats (44 catches, 823 yards, 9 TDs) and the inability of defenses to stop him. ESPN’s source was inaccessible due to a 403 error, so no perspective could be synthesized from it.
Why it matters
The shift in ratings leadership indicates a potential change in the competitive landscape for college football broadcasting, with CBS’s Big Ten package gaining traction and ABC’s SEC dominance facing challenges. This could impact future contract negotiations and network strategies for college football rights.
What to watch
ABC is expected to face a strong test next week with the Alabama-Georgia primetime matchup, which could reverse its recent ratings decline. CBS will continue to rely on Big Ten marquee games to maintain its momentum, while ESPN and FOX will likely continue their competitive battles in specific time slots.
- CBS gets rare CFB win in down weekend for ABC Sports Media Watch
- Ohio State-Iowa was the most-watched college football game on any network in Week 5 247Sports
- Smith sets Ohio State's career receptions, receiving TD records ESPN
- Where Jeremiah Smith ranks among the greatest college receivers of the 21st century after record-setting day CBS Sports
- How much credit should Ohio State get for stopping Iowa’s offense? 3 things we learned - The Athletic The New York Times
Want the full story? Read the original reporting
Read on Sports Media Watch