The Big Ten Network has been a huge success story and the channel has been a cash cow ever since it began operation in 2007. It turned a profit in its first year. Rabid fans in the conference footprint helped to force cable companies’ hands and in 2008, it was on most major cable systems in the Midwest. Now, with it firmly placed throughout the country, Big Ten Network is now garnering ratings for college football this season as evidenced from Saturday’s action. With regional action on Saturday in the noon ET window, Big Ten Network saw its highest ratings ever. Part of this was helped with Ohio State and Michigan playing at the same time. Here’s the BTN press release.
Big Ten Network Attracts Highest Viewership EverFootball games were Saturday’s most-watched across eight metered marketsCHICAGO – The Big Ten Network on Saturday set a new ratings record, beating all other afternoon football games on cable in the Big Ten region and earning its highest rating for a non-live-event program.The noon ET football games, which featured home games at Illinois (Northern Illinois), Michigan (University of Massachusetts), Ohio State (Ohio), and Purdue (Ball State), averaged a 5.64 household rating (HH) in the eight metered markets.* The rating was 10 percent higher than last year’s Big Ten Network record of 5.1, set on Oct. 3, 2009.In addition, the debut of Big Ten Icons, which aired later Saturday, attracted a 1.04 HH rating and was the highest rated non-event program in Big Ten Network history.Source: Nielsen Arianna Overnights (9/18/10). Metered Markets: Chicago, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, Detroit, Indianapolis, Milwaukee and Minneapolis.
And on Saturday, Big Ten Network carries 8 games including five in the noon ET window. That’s the most it will air in one day.
