• Loading stock data...
Wednesday, July 9, 2025

Ohio State-Notre Dame Scores Historic 10.5M Viewers for NBC

  • Saturday night’s thriller in South Bend was NBC’s second-most-watched regular-season college football game ever.
  • Excluding Labor Day holiday weekends, the contest was the most-watched primetime regular-season college football game on any network since 2018.
Ohio State players celebrate after after their defeat of Notre Dame in the final seconds at Notre Dame Stadium.
Kyle Robertson / USA TODAY NETWORK

Ohio State’s last-minute heroics to beat Notre Dame 17-14 in South Bend this past Saturday was apparently enough to attract a historic broadcast audience.

NBC Sports announced that Saturday’s contest averaged 10.5 million viewers — NBC’s second-most-watched regular-season college football game ever, trailing only the “Game of the Century” between Notre Dame and Florida State that attracted 22 million viewers in Nov. 1993.

The Ohio State-Notre Dame game peaked at 14.2 million viewers between 10:30 and 10:45 p.m. ET when the Buckeyes were driving down the field for the winning score. Excluding Labor Day holiday weekends, the contest was the most-watched primetime regular-season college football game on any network since 2018.

The tense matchup was also a streaming win for NBC Sports: With an Average Minute Audience of 605,000 on Peacock, Saturday’s game was also NBC Sports most-streamed college football simulcast ever.

Peacock may have seen a boost now that it’s being shown in public spaces: In August, the streamer reached a deal with EverPass Media to digitally show its games at bars, restaurants, and other commercial establishments.

Notre Dame football continues to be an enormous draw for NBC, which began showing Irish games on its network in 1991. The school is reportedly aiming for $65 million to $75 million in its next round of media rights negotiations.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Browns $600M Stadium Deal Hit With Suit Over ‘Unclaimed’ Money

Ohio’s use of unclaimed funds for a new stadium is challenged legally.
exclusive

Fox Extends Erin Andrews, Charissa Thompson Contracts Ahead of NFL Season

Changes are coming at Fox, but Andrews and Thompson stay put.

Chiefs Delay Stadium Decision As Kansas Dangles Dome Dreams

Kansas legislators extend bonds for potential Chiefs and Royals facilities.
A helmt is seen during the Texas Tech football team's spring game, Saturday, April 19, 2025, at Jones AT&T Stadium.

CFB’s Revenue-Sharing Era Muddles Future of NIL, Adds PE Questions

Athletic departments can pay college athletes a combined $20.5 million this year.

Featured Today

Jun 28, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh (29) bats during the game between the Texas Rangers and the Seattle Mariners at Globe Life Field.

The Torpedo Bat Business Is Still Going Strong: ‘Here to Stay’

Demand for the oddly shaped bats has stayed strong across the sport.
July 6, 2025

American Celebs Want to Be Sports Owners. Soccer Is Where They Start

As U.S. team prices climb, investors set their sights abroad.
July 5, 2025

Baseball’s Celebrity Row: Behind MLB’s First-Pitch Ritual

Often planned, sometimes spontaneous, the ritual throw is baseball’s celebrity row.
July 4, 2025

3,000 Hot Dogs, $20K in Prizes: Behind the Nathan’s Eating Contest

Nathan’s serves up thousands of hot dogs and $20,000 in prize money.
Paige Bueckers
exclusive

Women’s March Madness Expansion Wouldn’t Yield More ESPN Money

ESPN is not required to pay extra if women’s March Madness expands.
Jul 6, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Mexico forward Marcel Ruiz (14) heads the ball in front of United States midfielder Brenden Aaronson (11) in the second half during the 2025 Gold Cup Final at NRG Stadium.
July 7, 2025

USMNT Struggles Still Produce Big Gold Cup Ratings for Fox

The U.S. team’s recent issues culminated in a loss to Mexico.
Feb 7, 2025; Storrs, Connecticut, USA; UConn Huskies center Tarris Reed Jr. (5) reacts after his basket against the St. John's Red Storm in the first half at Harry A. Gampel Pavilion.
July 8, 2025

After Decade Apart, ESPN and Big East Rekindle Media Rights Relationship

After a decade-plus apart, the network will stream hundreds of conference events.
Sponsored

Game On: Portfolio Players Stories, Brought to You by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley

Dealmaker Jeffrey Kaplan maps the evolution of sports as an asset class
July 2, 2025

Paramount Settles Trump Suit Ahead of NFL Season, Skydance Merger

The deal likely allows the much larger Skydance merger deal to proceed.
Leo Messi
June 27, 2025

TNT, Club World Cup Ride Messi to Surprisingly Solid Debut Ratings

TNT Sports carries about a third of matches in the U.S.
June 24, 2025

Fever vs. Aces Draws 5th-Largest TV Audience of 2025 WNBA Season

ESPN will carry seven more Indiana Fever games this year.
June 23, 2025

NBA Finals Game 7 Is Most-Watched Since 2019, but Series Drops 9%

Game 7 drew 16.35 million viewers, the most-watched NBA game since 2019.