Notre Dame-USC Game is Ratings Winner for ABC

ABC televised the two most-viewed and highest-rated college football games of the weekend on Saturday, Nov. 24, led by the Saturday Night Football Presented by Windows 8 broadcast of No. 1 Notre Dame defeating USC 22-13.

The matchup averaged 16,059,000 viewers; 10,707,000 households; and a 9.4 rating, making it the most-viewed regular-season college football game on ABC since November 18, 2006, when No. 2 Michigan at No. 1 Ohio State averaged 21,037,000 viewers; 14,479,000 households; and a 13.0 rating. Additional highlights of the telecast:

The broadcast is also the fifth most-viewed regular-season college football game among all networks since at least 1991 (ratings prior to 1991 are not available) and the most-viewed game not involving a matchup between the nation's top two teams.

NBC's No. 1 Florida State at No. 2 Notre Dame averaged 22,019,000 viewers, 15,072,000 households and a 16.0 rating on November 13, 1993.

ABC's No. 2 Michigan at No. 1 Ohio State averaged 21,037,000 viewers; 14,479,000 households; and a 13.0 rating on November 18, 2006.

CBS's No. 1 LSU at No. 2 Alabama averaged 20,011,000 viewers; 13,134,000 households; and an 11.5 rating on November 5, 2011.

CBS's No. 1 Florida vs. No. 2 Alabama in the SEC Championship game averaged 17,969,000 viewers; 12,755,000 households; and an 11.1 rating on December 5, 2009.

The game is ABC's most-viewed and highest-rated regular-season Saturday night college football telecast since 1991.

Led by Saturday's broadcast, ABC has televised the three most-viewed and highest-rated regular-season games involving Notre Dame since NBC's matchup against Florida State in 1991. The other two games were also against USC:

· November 25, 2006: 14,647,000 viewers; 10,048,000 households; and a 9.0 rating.

· November 30, 1996: 10,847,000 viewers; 7,246,000 households; and a 7.5 rating.

· ABC televised four games involving Notre Dame this season, averaging 8,839,000 viewers, 6,100,000 households, and a 5.3 rating.

· Led by Saturday Night Football, ABC has been the most-viewed network of the night across all of television among households, viewers, and all key male and persons demos for three straight weeks.

· Birmingham was the highest-rated metered market for the telecast with a 24.8 rating followed by Columbus (20.4), Indianapolis (19.4), Dayton (16.3) and Atlanta (15.3).

In addition, ABC posted the second most-viewed and highest-rated college football game of the weekend, averaging 8,466,000 viewers; 5,802,000 households; and a 5.1 rating for its Saturday afternoon broadcast of then-No. 4 Florida defeating then-No. 10 Florida State 37-26. Jacksonville was the highest-rated metered market with a 25.2 rating followed by Columbus (18.8), Orlando (17.1), West Palm Beach (16.5) and Fort Myers (15.9).

The final rating for ABC's noon telecast of Michigan at Ohio State will be available Friday morning. The 109th meeting between the storied programs, won by Ohio State 26-21, averaged a 6.3 metered market rating. Ohio had four of the top five markets: Columbus with a 47.5 rating followed by Dayton (32.8), Cleveland (25.0), Detroit (22.8) and Cincinnati (14.2).

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