Thursday’s Nebraska-Minnesota college football game averaged a 1.9 rating and 3.49 million viewers on FOX, down 11% in ratings and 1% in viewership from Penn State-Purdue last year (2.1, 3.51M), but still the most-watched game of opening night.
ESPN’s competing Florida-Utah game averaged a 1.7 and 3.19 million, flat and up 1% respectively from West Virginia-Pitt a year ago (1.7, 3.15M). In a repeat of last year, ESPN lost the overall head-to-head to FOX but came out ahead in adults 18-49 (1.1 to 0.8). Keep in mind that ESPN was pulled from Charter’s Spectrum cable system — and its 15 million subscribers — right before kickoff.
ESPN’s competing Florida-Utah game averaged a 1.7 and 3.19 million, flat and up 1% respectively from West Virginia-Pitt a year ago (1.7, 3.15M). In a repeat of last year, ESPN lost the overall head-to-head to FOX but came out ahead in adults 18-49 (1.1 to 0.8). Keep in mind that ESPN was pulled from Charter’s Spectrum cable system — and its 15 million subscribers — right before kickoff.
