College football ratings did well on ESPN as you’ll see coming up. The SEC package for CBS did very well and this was the first year of the new 15 year contract for the Tiffany Network. Not only did CBS’ ratings for the SEC go up from last season, the numbers were better than ABC’s package of games which aired opposite the SEC. Take a look at the press release:
2009 “SEC ON CBS” SCORES HIGHEST RATING OF ANY
COLLEGE FOOTBALL TELEVISION PACKAGE
CBS Sports College Football Season-to-Date Ratings Best in 14 Years
CBS Sports’ coverage of the SEC ON CBS for the 2009 season is the highest-rated college football package on any network averaging a national household rating/share of 4.4/10, up 29% from last year’s 3.4/8. This 4.4/10 is the highest rating at this point in the season since college football returned to the Network in 1996.
The SEC ON CBS season average of a 4.4/10 topped ABC’s season average of 3.9/8 for college football for the first time since 1990.
The season was capped off by the SEC Championship game between No. 1-ranked Florida and No. 2-ranked Alabama on Saturday, Dec. 5 (4:00-7:44 PM, ET), which earned a national household rating/share of 11.1/23, +18% from last year’s 9.4/20 for the SEC Championship featuring Florida and Alabama.
The 11.1/23 was the highest rating ever for the SEC Championship game since its debut in 1992.
CBS has real reason to crow about the ratings.
