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Most Watched Games involving SEC Teams since 2013
Posted on 11/9/18 at 9:58 am
Posted on 11/9/18 at 9:58 am
Here are all the regular season games that were watched by 8 million people or more since 2013:
13.78 million- Alabama at Auburn, 2013
13.59 million- Alabama at Texas A&M, 2013
13.53 million- Auburn at Alabama, 2014
13.47 million- Alabama at Auburn, 2017
12.34 million- Alabama vs. Florida St., 2017
11.90 million- LSU at Alabama, 2013
11.53 million- Alabama at LSU, 2018
11.06 million- LSU at Alabama, 2015
10.39 million- Alabama at LSU, 2016
10.27 million- Mississippi St. at Alabama, 2016
9.30 million- Alabama at Auburn, 2015
9.14 million- Alabama at LSU, 2014
8.46 million- Texas A&M at Alabama, 2016
8.35 million- Ole Miss vs. Florida St., 2016
8.24 million- Auburn at Alabama, 2016
8.17 million- Alabama at Ole Miss, 2016
8.14 million- Georgia at Clemson, 2013
**FIFTEEN of the Top 17 most watched games involved Alabama, and all 14 of the Top 14 involving two SEC teams involved Alabama.
I also find it interesting that not a single Alabama vs. LSU game makes the Top 5. The SEC clears the deck for that game every single year and puts it in prime time... yet still that game can never hit 12 million viewers.
It just goes to show that from a viewership perspective, the Iron Bowl reigns supreme as the SEC's premiere matchup.
AVERAGE VIEWERSHIP 2013-2018:
11.66 million- Alabama vs. Auburn (5 meetings)
10.12 million- Alabama vs. LSU (6 meetings)
The Iron Bowl could garner just 2.5 million viewers in two weeks and it would still average out higher than Bama-LSU over the past six seasons.
13.78 million- Alabama at Auburn, 2013
13.59 million- Alabama at Texas A&M, 2013
13.53 million- Auburn at Alabama, 2014
13.47 million- Alabama at Auburn, 2017
12.34 million- Alabama vs. Florida St., 2017
11.90 million- LSU at Alabama, 2013
11.53 million- Alabama at LSU, 2018
11.06 million- LSU at Alabama, 2015
10.39 million- Alabama at LSU, 2016
10.27 million- Mississippi St. at Alabama, 2016
9.30 million- Alabama at Auburn, 2015
9.14 million- Alabama at LSU, 2014
8.46 million- Texas A&M at Alabama, 2016
8.35 million- Ole Miss vs. Florida St., 2016
8.24 million- Auburn at Alabama, 2016
8.17 million- Alabama at Ole Miss, 2016
8.14 million- Georgia at Clemson, 2013
**FIFTEEN of the Top 17 most watched games involved Alabama, and all 14 of the Top 14 involving two SEC teams involved Alabama.
I also find it interesting that not a single Alabama vs. LSU game makes the Top 5. The SEC clears the deck for that game every single year and puts it in prime time... yet still that game can never hit 12 million viewers.
It just goes to show that from a viewership perspective, the Iron Bowl reigns supreme as the SEC's premiere matchup.
AVERAGE VIEWERSHIP 2013-2018:
11.66 million- Alabama vs. Auburn (5 meetings)
10.12 million- Alabama vs. LSU (6 meetings)
The Iron Bowl could garner just 2.5 million viewers in two weeks and it would still average out higher than Bama-LSU over the past six seasons.
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Posted on 11/9/18 at 10:06 am to BHMKyle
quote:
13.53 million- Auburn at Alabama, 2014
Even more crazy is that game was on SEC Network.
I was wrong, it was on ESPN. Still the only cable game on that list.
This post was edited on 11/9/18 at 10:12 am
Posted on 11/9/18 at 10:08 am to SummerOfGeorge
quote:
Even more crazy is that game was on SEC Network
No. It was on espn at the primetime slot if I remember correctly
Posted on 11/9/18 at 10:09 am to MSHawg1
quote:
No. It was on espn at the primetime slot if I remember correctly
They had the SEC Network guys do it then?
This post was edited on 11/9/18 at 10:11 am
Posted on 11/9/18 at 10:10 am to SummerOfGeorge
quote:
No, it was on SEC Network
I checked wikipedia and watched the game myself. It was on espn. Period.
Posted on 11/9/18 at 10:10 am to MSHawg1
quote:
I checked wikipedia and watched the game myself. It was on espn. Period.
You were right
Posted on 11/9/18 at 10:11 am to SummerOfGeorge
quote:
They had the SEC Network guys do it then?
Musberger did the ESPN channel for one year before he transitioned to the SEC Network
Edit - Bama and Auburn could each be 4-7 and the game would still get CBS or ESPN. The game is too important
This post was edited on 11/9/18 at 10:13 am
Posted on 11/9/18 at 10:14 am to MSHawg1
quote:
Edit - Bama and Auburn could each be 4-7 and the game would still get CBS or ESPN. The game is too important
For some reason I thought I remembered it was the SEC Network's big "you have to come to our channel" game for some reason in year 1.
No idea why, clearly wrong.
Posted on 11/9/18 at 10:16 am to SummerOfGeorge
quote:
No idea why, clearly wrong.
I remember what you are referring to. It was the first time the game had not been on CBS since ESPN had existed. It was ESPN' s greatest accomplishment - "Getting to do the Iron Bowl"
Edit - I am wrong on that. It was the first time in 7 seasons that the Iron Bowl had been on ESPN.
This post was edited on 11/9/18 at 10:19 am
Posted on 11/9/18 at 10:18 am to MSHawg1
quote:
13.53 million- Auburn at Alabama, 2014
This was a better game than 2013 but because it didnt have a crazy finish no one talks about it.
Posted on 11/9/18 at 10:20 am to SummerOfGeorge
I think it was on ESPN if I remember correctly... plus I don't think SEC Network games are measured.
Whiffing on being able to pick the 2014 Iron Bowl was probably CBS' biggest blunder of the past 5 years when it comes to selecting SEC games. CBS used up its five Alabama picks and didn't have any left to choose the Iron Bowl. Here are the Bama games they picked that season:
7.95 million viewers- Alabama vs. Florida
5.92 million viewers- Alabama vs. Ole Miss
4.20 million viewers- Alabama vs. Texas A&M
9.11 million viewers- Alabama vs. LSU
10.27 million viewers- Alabama vs. Miss St.
I believe they had no idea that MSU would have such a good season, so as the Bulldogs' matchup with Alabama loomed in November 2014, CBS was left with a decision on whether to pass on an AP Top 5 matchup between Alabama and MSU or wait to go with the Iron Bowl two weeks later. They went with State.
Turns out it wasn't a total disaster as that Alabama-State matchup garnered nearly 10.3 million viewers. But the real blunder was getting ahead of themselves and wasting Bama selections for Ole Miss and/or Texas A&M.
It would take some research, but I bet the 2014 Iron Bowl was ESPN's highest rated regular season game on a Saturday night in decades. It's one thing to pull 13.5 million viewers on Labor Day Night when there is nothing else a game is competing with. But to pull 13.5 million viewers on a regular Saturday night on cable is pretty much unheard of.
Whiffing on being able to pick the 2014 Iron Bowl was probably CBS' biggest blunder of the past 5 years when it comes to selecting SEC games. CBS used up its five Alabama picks and didn't have any left to choose the Iron Bowl. Here are the Bama games they picked that season:
7.95 million viewers- Alabama vs. Florida
5.92 million viewers- Alabama vs. Ole Miss
4.20 million viewers- Alabama vs. Texas A&M
9.11 million viewers- Alabama vs. LSU
10.27 million viewers- Alabama vs. Miss St.
I believe they had no idea that MSU would have such a good season, so as the Bulldogs' matchup with Alabama loomed in November 2014, CBS was left with a decision on whether to pass on an AP Top 5 matchup between Alabama and MSU or wait to go with the Iron Bowl two weeks later. They went with State.
Turns out it wasn't a total disaster as that Alabama-State matchup garnered nearly 10.3 million viewers. But the real blunder was getting ahead of themselves and wasting Bama selections for Ole Miss and/or Texas A&M.
It would take some research, but I bet the 2014 Iron Bowl was ESPN's highest rated regular season game on a Saturday night in decades. It's one thing to pull 13.5 million viewers on Labor Day Night when there is nothing else a game is competing with. But to pull 13.5 million viewers on a regular Saturday night on cable is pretty much unheard of.
Posted on 11/9/18 at 10:21 am to BHMKyle
Also interesting that the lowest-rated LSU/Bama game (2014) was arguably the most competitive game of the series in that time frame.
Posted on 11/9/18 at 10:31 am to Bham Bammer
I have to wonder if some fans get turned off by the low scoring grind it out type game we usually see against LSU.
To me if I were trying to get a non fan interested in college football I would take them to the night LSU game over any other game all year.
Iron Bowl is sports hatred embodied, but often lacks the buildup as it’s always a 2:30 kick. Weather is usually terrible or at least cold as well which takes the experience down a notch IMO.
To me if I were trying to get a non fan interested in college football I would take them to the night LSU game over any other game all year.
Iron Bowl is sports hatred embodied, but often lacks the buildup as it’s always a 2:30 kick. Weather is usually terrible or at least cold as well which takes the experience down a notch IMO.
Posted on 11/9/18 at 10:32 am to BHMKyle
I wonder what kind of TV contract Alabama would get if they made their own deal with a national network like Notre Dame does.
This post was edited on 11/9/18 at 10:33 am
Posted on 11/9/18 at 10:32 am to BHMKyle
And yet LSU isn't Bama's rival.
Posted on 11/9/18 at 10:56 am to BHMKyle
These numbers can't be true, because I have been assured on this board multiple times by multiple posters that the country is bored by Alabama.
Posted on 11/9/18 at 10:57 am to MSHawg1
quote:
I checked wikipedia and watched the game myself. It was on espn. Period.
Definitely espn. I watched the first couple drives with Walter Lewis that game.
Posted on 11/9/18 at 11:56 am to Bham Bammer
quote:
Also interesting that the lowest-rated LSU/Bama game (2014) was arguably the most competitive game of the series in that time frame.
Well actually the 2017 game only had 6.73 million and didn't make the list.... but yeah, you're right otherwise.
Posted on 11/9/18 at 12:02 pm to BHMKyle
quote:
I also find it interesting that not a single Alabama vs. LSU game makes the Top 5.
And can we please stop having this matchup as the CBS prime time game?
Posted on 11/9/18 at 1:07 pm to TheTideMustRoll
quote:
These numbers can't be true, because I have been assured on this board multiple times by multiple posters that the country is bored by Alabama.
I think folks get tired of watching blowouts. The one thing in common with these highly rated Alabama games that brought in 8 million + viewers is that they were for the most part competitive games.
Of these 14 games since 2013, twice Alabama lost (to Auburn in '13 and '17). Seven others were decided by two scores or less.
The average score of these games is Bama 31.6 vs. Opponent 20.6
A competitive game for Alabama that is decided on average by just 10 points is a ratings blockbuster. I think the issue a lot of fans have is that CBS continues to pick games like Bama-Tennessee when everyone knows its going to be a 50-point blowout at the time the game is announced.
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