In a groundbreaking shift in the landscape of college football broadcasting, FOX’s Big Noon Kickoff has, for the first time, eclipsed ESPN’s iconic College GameDay in viewership ratings. This remarkable event unfolded on a pivotal Saturday, which featured ‘The Game’ between No. 2 Ohio State and No. 3 Michigan. The stakes couldn’t have been higher, as the encounter essentially served as a playoff game, with the loser facing steep odds in their quest for a College Football Playoff berth.
FOX’s Big Noon Kickoff Narrowly Beats ESPN College GameDay in Rivalry Week Viewership
The ratings tell a story of a changing tide. Big Noon Kickoff drew an audience of 2.338 million viewers, narrowly surpassing the 2.325 million viewers of College GameDay. This is a significant development, considering the historical dominance of College GameDay in the college football pre-game show arena. The numbers reported by Andrew Marchand underscore the tight race for viewership that played out between these two broadcast giants on the day Michigan took on Ohio State.
Hearing Fox’s Big Noon Kickoff beat ESPN’s College GameDay in the ratings Saturday for the first time ever.
I’m told Fox was at 2.338M viewers compared to ESPN’s 2.325M. Both were at Michigan-Ohio State for three hours.
Fox had the UM-OSU game telecast.
— Andrew Marchand (@AndrewMarchand) November 29, 2023
Lead-in to Ohio State vs. Michigan the Reason for FOX’s Big Ratings Win
The context of these numbers is further illuminated by season-long trends. Sports Business Journal notes that through the first ten weeks of the season, Big Noon Kickoff averaged 1.02 million viewers, spiking to 1.4 million in the critical 11 a.m. time slot. In contrast, College GameDay maintained a stronger average of 1.99 million viewers over the same period, with a significant lead in the 11 a.m. slot at 2.66 million.
The viewership shift can be attributed to several factors, not least the high stakes of ‘The Game’ itself, which was broadcast on FOX immediately following Big Noon Kickoff. The intense rivalry and playoff implications undoubtedly contributed to drawing a larger audience. Big Noon Kickoff‘s strategic positioning right before such a marquee matchup provided it with a unique advantage.
As the dust settled on the field with Michigan emerging victorious in a thrilling 30-24 battle, the shift in viewership patterns similarly marked a significant moment in college football broadcasting. This event represents not just a win for FOX but signals a potential shift in how audiences engage with pre-game college football content.
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