or


[09/03/25 - 04:04 PM]
ESPN and ABC Rewrite Week 1 Viewership History Books, "College GameDay" Shatters All-Time Audience Record
Across the full weekend, ABC averaged 8.6 million viewers across four games, marking its best Kickoff Weekend on record.

[via press release from ESPN]

ESPN and ABC Rewrite Week 1 Viewership History Books, "College GameDay" Shatters All-Time Audience Record

· ABC boasts best Kickoff Weekend on record with 8.6 million viewers across four games

· College GameDay Built by The Home Depot delivers the most-watched episode ever with 4.0 million viewers

· ABC drew three games with 10M+ viewers, the first time ESPN networks have reached that milestone in a single weekend

· Alabama-Florida State scores 10.7 million viewers, the best mid-afternoon Week 1 audience on record

ESPN and ABC kicked off the college football season with record-breaking audiences, highlighted by the most watched episode in the history of College GameDay, the best Week 1 for ESPN networks on record and ABC's strongest Kickoff Weekend performance on record.

College GameDay Built by The Home Depot delivered its most watched show ever, averaging 4.0 million viewers. The show's final 15 minutes, featuring Lee Corso's iconic headgear pick, peaked from 11:45 - noon ET at 5.7 million viewers across ESPN and ESPNU - the highest quarter-hour peak ever for the Saturday morning program. The comprehensive peak audience for Corso's final headgear pick across ESPN's roadblock (ESPN/ESPNU/SEC Network/ACC Network) and FOX, along with full social media measurement, will be available Thursday.

Across the full weekend, ABC averaged 8.6 million viewers across four games, marking its best Kickoff Weekend on record. ABC drew three games with more than 10 million viewers, the first time ESPN networks have reached that milestone in a single weekend.

Sunday's primetime showdown between Notre Dame and Miami drew 10.8 million viewers, ABC's second-best Sunday Opener on record, trailing only the 2016 Notre Dame-Texas thriller. The Fighting Irish/Hurricanes matchup peaked with 11.8 million viewers. On Saturday, Alabama-Florida State led the way with 10.7 million viewers - the most-watched Week 1 game in the mid-afternoon window on record, peaking with a monster 12.9 million viewers.

ABC Saturday Night Football Presented by Capital One featuring LSU and Clemson attracted 10.4 million viewers, ranking as the sixth most-watched Week 1 game ever on ABC. The all-Tigers tussle peaked at 11.3 million viewers. Inclusive of the first Aflac Kickoff Game between Syracuse and Tennessee (2.6M viewers), ABC's Saturday tripleheader averaged 7.8 million viewers, becoming the best Kickoff Saturday tripleheader on record.

Sunday also saw 5.4 million viewers for the second Aflac Kickoff Game on ESPN featuring Virginia Tech and South Carolina, peaking with 6.5 million viewers. Based on Nielsen Fast Nationals, ESPN's Labor Day Monday game between TCU and North Carolina scored 6.1 million viewers with a peak of 8.1 million viewers. The complete and final audience will be available on Thursday.

Additional ESPN games from Kickoff Week also contributed to the strong start:

· Georgia Tech at Colorado (Fri, Aug 29 - 8 p.m.): 3.7M viewers

· Nebraska vs. Cincinnati (Fri, Aug 29 - 9 p.m.): 3.3M viewers

· Boise State at South Florida (Thu, Aug 28 - 5:30 p.m.): 2.0M viewers

These viewership measurements are based on Nielsen's Big Data + Panel methodology, combining Nielsen's panel measurement with data from cable, satellite set-top boxes and smart TVs across 45 million households and 75 million devices. Viewership records date back to 1996.

All of ESPN. All in One Place. Now Available!

For the first time ever, ESPN offers its full suite of 12 networks and services directly to fans within an enhanced ESPN App that integrates game stats, ESPN BET information, ESPN Fantasy sports, commerce, multiview options, a synchronized two-screen experience, a vertical video feature called Verts and a personalized SportsCenter For You. Designed to give fans more choice, flexibility and access to all of ESPN, these new features and functionality are available to all fans who watch on the ESPN App on mobile and connected TV devices, whether they subscribe directly or through a traditional pay TV package. Bundling options available for fans include a special offer at launch for the ESPN DTC Unlimited plan with Disney+ and Hulu for $29.99/month for the first 12 months. For more visit the ESPN DTC Press Kit.

-30-





  [september 2025]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
 


· SATURDAY NIGHT COLLEGE FOOTBALL (ABC)
· THURSDAY NIGHT COLLEGE FOOTBALL (ESPN)





most recent ratings | view all posts
[10/03/25 - 02:17 PM]
ESPN's Record-Setting '25 MLB Wild Card Series
Across eight games, the MLB Wild Card Series is averaging 4.4 million viewers, up 65% from last year.

[10/03/25 - 12:07 PM]
"Dancing with the Stars" Continues to Shatter Records - Growing Two Weeks in a Row Since Season Premiere for First Time Since 2005
Plus: "High Potential" hit a season high in Total Viewers (4.24 million), growing by double digits over the show's comparable third episode from last fall.

[10/02/25 - 04:09 PM]
ESPN Delivers the Most-Watched WNBA Semifinals Ever
Game 5 between the Indiana Fever and the Las Vegas Aces averaged 1.8 million viewers, peaking at 2.1 million.

[10/02/25 - 02:51 PM]
ESPN's Record-Setting Day One of MLB Wild Card Series
Coverage of Red Sox versus Yankees averaged 6.5 million viewers, peaking at 9.9 million.

[10/02/25 - 11:00 AM]
"Survivor" and "The Amazing Race" Season Premieres Hit Their Largest 3-Day Streaming Viewerships Ever
The "Survivor" season 49 premiere grew to 6.83 million viewers with three days of multiplatform viewership; while "The Amazing Race" season 38 premiere grew to 4.01 million viewers.

[10/02/25 - 09:38 AM]
"Celebrity Wheel of Fortune" Scores on Friday Nights with Biggest Total Viewer Audience in Nearly Two Years
"Celebrity Wheel of Fortune" stood as the No. 1 program of the night, rising by double digits in Total Viewers over its previous season premiere.

[10/01/25 - 10:27 AM]
"Big Brother" Season Finale Is Most-Watched Episode in Over Three Years
The finale was up +33% from its year ago finale and up +33% from this season's average.

[09/30/25 - 03:44 PM]
ESPN and ABC Win College Football's Week 5; "College GameDay's" Most-Viewed Season Rolls On
ABC is off to its best start ever with 7.1 million average viewers per game, and the network has aired eight of the top 10 most-viewed games this season.

[09/30/25 - 02:08 PM]
Packers-Cowboys OT Thriller Averages 26.9 Million Viewers on NBC & Peacock, As NBC Sports Opens with Best Four-Week Audience Average in 20 Seasons of NBC "SNF"
The audience peaked at 29.9 million viewers in the second quarter (9-9:15 p.m. ET).

[09/30/25 - 12:01 PM]
Netflix Top 10 Week of September 22: "Wayward" Lures Viewers at No. 1, "KPop Demon Hunters" Sets Top 10 Record
New on Netflix this week is "House of Guinness," a historical drama series created by Steven Knight, which debuted at No. 3 on the English TV list with 5.2 million views.

[09/30/25 - 10:24 AM]
"High Potential" Season Premiere Vaults to Nearly 16 Million in First Week Across Platforms
This marks ABC's best season premiere for a drama among Total Viewers in five years.

[09/29/25 - 06:06 AM]
ESPN's 2025 MLB Game Viewership Up 21 Percent from Last Year
Coverage delivered 1.8 million viewers on average across 30 games this season.

[09/26/25 - 01:11 PM]
"Dancing with the Stars" Week Two Delivers Over 5 Million Total Viewers Rising Over Season Premiere for First Time in 14 Years
Once again, the show led its time period and stood as the No. 1 show of the night in Total Viewers (5.46 million) and Adults 18-49 (1.02 rating).

[09/25/25 - 02:05 PM]
Viewers Have Watched More Than 8 Billion Minutes of "Big Brother" This Summer - Up +27% from Last Year
Multiplatform average episode viewership grew to 5.1 million, up +23% versus last year in 35-days of viewing, outpacing the competition.

[09/24/25 - 02:47 PM]
"Jimmy Kimmel Live" Returned on Tuesday to 6.26 Million Total Viewers on Broadcast, According to Initial Live+Same Day Measurement
In addition to linear ratings, the monologue has garnered more than 26 million views across YouTube and social platforms.