• Loading stock data...
Monday, June 23, 2025

How College Football’s Biggest Games Took Over Saturday Night

  • Disney’s networks have been the incumbent champions of the primetime window.
  • But with its “Big Ten Saturday Night” broadcast — inspired by “Sunday Night Football” — NBC is pushing for the spotlight.
College football is taking over Saturday night.
Kyle Robertson – Columbus Dispatch

Outside of the traditional 7 p.m. ABC/ESPN game, top college football matchups have historically all kicked off in the daylight. Think Big Ten heavyweights during “Big Noon Kickoff” on Fox, or the 3:30 p.m. ET “SEC on CBS matchups.”

But for the first time, big-time college football is taking over Saturday night: Last week, more than 20 million people watched the sport during primetime across networks — topping “Sunday Night Football.”

The most-viewed game of each week this season has kicked off at 7 p.m. ET or later, according to Sports Media Watch data. Disney’s ABC and ESPN, and Saturday night newcomer NBC, have all enjoyed the benefits of this new trend. 

Disney’s networks have been the incumbent champions of the primetime window. But with its “Big Ten Saturday Night” broadcast — which is just four weeks old — NBC is making its own play for the spotlight.

The Week 1 ABC game between LSU and FSU garnered 9.17 million viewers — almost 2 million more than the Fox noon broadcast featuring Deion Sanders’ Colorado. Week 2’s Texas-Alabama matchup on ESPN notched 8.76 million viewers — again beating out Colorado’s noon ET game on Fox. 

Despite a 10 p.m. ET kickoff time, ESPN garnered 9.3 million viewers for the double-overtime Colorado-Colorado State game in Week 3. 

But last week, the Saturday night broadcast of Ohio State-Notre Dame notched 10.6 million viewers — more than any other game that day. It was also the second most-watched college football game ever on NBC, topped only by the 1993 “Game of the Century” between the Fighting Irish and FSU. 

NBC has believed in the success of a Saturday Night primetime college football for the better part of a decade, particularly given the popularity of the Notre Dame games the network has put in that window.

The network first pitched the idea of a weekly primetime Big Ten game — essentially a college version of “Sunday Night Football” — back in 2015, NBC President of Acquisitions and Partnerships, Jon Miller, told Front Office Sports. But the deal didn’t come to fruition until Commissioner Kevin Warren inked a seven-year, mid-$7 billion package along with Fox and CBS.

“We try to make ‘Sunday Night Football’ an event,” Miller said. “We decided to follow [that] model.”

The network sends a traveling countdown show to the home campus, and commissioned a theme song by Fall Out Boy (inspired by Carrie Underwood’s anthem, “Waiting All Day for Sunday Night”) that’s already become so popular that schools want to play it in stadiums, Miller said. 

The trend could have longevity for multiple networks, particularly given the new makeup of college football. 

Coast-to-coast conferences like the ACC and Big Ten ensure that networks will have options for fan bases around the country to tune into their evening games. And standout programs in the Mountain and Pacific time zone like Colorado provide even more combinations for popular matchups.

One expert industry source suggested that lack of competition in the evening window has also contributed to ratings success. Fox puts its best game on at noon, rather than at night, and CBS has never been in the business of putting its top games on after dark.

But the source noted: “If everybody starts adding them, that’ll end real quickly.”

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

opinion

A 7-Step Playbook for Better NBA Finals TV Coverage

ESPN’s coverage of the NBA Finals was criticized on social media.
Dec 27, 2024; San Diego, CA, USA; The Washington State Cougars ban perform during the second half at the Holiday Bowl at Snapdragon Stadium. Mandatory Credit:

Pac-12 Announces CBS As ‘Anchor’ in New Media-Rights Deal

The league may announce expansion before finalizing the rest of the package.
Mar 15, 2025; Fort Worth, TX, USA; UAB Blazers forward Yaxel Lendeborg (3) dribbles the ball upcourt against the North Texas Mean Green during the first half at Dickies Arena

NIL Is Shrinking the Pool of NBA Draft Entrants

Agents are now advising many players to stay in school.

Featured Today

Apr 24, 2025; Green Bay, WI, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions defensive end Abdul Carter on the red carpet before the 2025 NFL Draft at Lambeau Field

‘More Is More’: The Elite Luxury Jewelers Decking Out Athletes

Meet the elite group of luxury designers crafting the biggest statement pieces.
Dec 5, 2024; Miami, FL, USA; FIFA president Gianni Infantino presents the FIFA Club World Cup trophy during the Club Word Cup draw at Telemundo Studios.
June 15, 2025

Revamped Club World Cup Is FIFA’s Billion-Dollar Gamble

The revamped soccer event debuts amid controversy.
Jun 10, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; United States head coach Mauricio Pochettino stands during the anthem against the Switzerland during the first at Geodis Park
June 14, 2025

Gold Cup Is Complicated for USMNT—but U.S. Soccer Has Its Eyes on..

Uncertain tournament success isn’t fazing forward-looking U.S. soccer.
Jan 24, 2017; Davidson, NC, USA; The Davidson Wildcats student section cheers during the first half against the Duquesne Dukes at McKillop Court at John M. Belk Arena. Davidson defeated Duquesne 74-60.
June 6, 2025

Every College Wants a Flashy Basketball GM Hire Right Now

The role is more important than ever, and the definition is ever-evolving.

Pacers Force Game 7, Could Spark Big Ratings Boost for NBA Finals

Game 7 could boost NBA Finals ratings after a slow start this year.
June 17, 2025

Streaming Tops Linear for First Time, Sports Still Key to TV’s Resilience

Streaming hits another critical milestone in an accelerating media transition.
June 17, 2025

Stanley Cup Final Delivers Drama but Struggles for Eyeballs in U.S.

U.S. viewership fell while Canadian audiences for the event rose slightly.
Sponsored

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

Ted Leonsis unpacks basketball’s global rise, media rights, and portfolio ownership.
June 17, 2025

Zaslav Takes Pay Cut, TNT Sports Future Unclear in WBD Shake-Up

The TNT Sports parent company retools its executive pay after shareholder pushback.
Tyrese Haliburton
June 16, 2025

NBA Finals Ratings Up Again in Game 4 but Still Down Overall

More than nine million people watched Games 3 and 4.
Thunder
June 16, 2025

NBA, ABC Air Finals Lineup Intros After Fan Complaints

ABC aired player intros for the first time in 12 years Monday. 
Anthony Slater
exclusive
June 13, 2025

Top Warriors Reporter Anthony Slater Leaving The Athletic for ESPN

Anthony Slater starts at ESPN later this summer.