To say interest was high for Alabama-Texas A&M was an understatement. While the game was a blowout in the middle, but became a barnburner at the end.
CBS got out of the gate with a massive 9.0/21 rating for its SEC season opener. It’s the highest-rated regular season college football afternoon game on the Tiffany Network dating back 23 years, to a Notre Dame-Miami matchup in 1990. That’s big.
Here’s the CBS press release.
HIGHEST RATING IN 23 YEARS ROLLS IN FOR “SEC ON CBS” COVERAGE OF NO. 1 ALABAMA vs. NO. 6 TEXAS A&M
Game Earns Overnight HH Rating/Share of 9.0/21, Up 200% in Metered Markets
CBS Sports kicked off its 2013 SEC ON CBS college football schedule with No. 1-Alabama vs. No. 6-Texas A&M on Saturday, Sept. 14, earning an overnight household rating/share of 9.0/21, up 200% from last year’s 3.0/7 for its season opening broadcast (Alabama-Arkansas).
The 9.0/21 is the Network’s highest-rated afternoon regular-season college football game in 23 years (excluding the SEC Championship game) in the metered markets (10.1; Miami-Notre Dame; 10/20/1990).
The Alabama-Texas A&M game rating/share peaked at 10.2/22 from 7:00-7:15 PM, ET.
That’s it.