Notre Dame Football Up Again For NBC

Rare to get a press release from NBC Sports on a Sunday, but with NFL season starting up, glad to see it. Here’s news on the ratings for Michigan-Notre Dame which was a thriller throughout.

NOTRE DAME RATINGS CONTINUE SURGE: UP 67 PERCENT FOR SECOND GAME

Tie Last Year’s USC Game as Best Overnight Since ‘06

13% Ahead of 2008 Michigan-Notre Dame

NEW YORK – September 12, 2010 – NBC Sports’ broadcast of yesterday’s Michigan-Notre Dame game, which the Wolverines won in a thriller, 28-24, generated a 4.5 overnight rating and a 10 share, up 67 percent vs. last year’s second Fighting Irish game and tied the USC-ND game on Oct. 17, 2009 as the best Notre Dame overnight on NBC since the Michigan-Notre Dame game on Sept. 16, 2006 (4.9/11).

The 4.5/10 (3:30-7:30 p.m. ET) was up 67 percent over last year’s second game (Michigan St.-Notre Dame, 2.7/6) and up 13 percent over 2008’s Michigan-Notre Dame game (4.0/9), also the second game of the season. This followed last week’s season-opening rating vs. Purdue that was up 77 percent over the first game in 2009.

Detroit was the top metered market with a 20.4 rating and 38 share. Indianapolis was second with an 11.7 rating and 25 share. The game’s rating peaked at a 6.5/13 during the 7-7:30 p.m. ET half hour.

Top 10 Metered Markets:

1. Detroit, 20.4/38

2. Indianapolis, 11.7/25

3. Nashville, 7.3/13

T4. Chicago, 7.0/17

T4. Knoxville, 7.0/12

6. Cincinnati, 6.8/14

T7. Pittsburgh, 6.4/15

T7. New Orleans, 6.4/11

9. West Palm Beach, 6.0/11

10. Ft. Myers, 5.8/11

More coming up later.