• Loading stock data...
Monday, July 7, 2025

Michigan-Ohio State Draws Biggest Rating In A Decade

  • Fox draws 17 million viewers for Big Ten showdown.
  • College football battle outpaces network’s USA-England World Cup match.
University of Michigan quarterback JJ McCarthy scrambles to complete pass against Ohio State
Adam Cairns-The Columbus Dispatch

Two days after televising the most-watched regular-season game in NFL history, Fox Sports scored again by broadcasting the most-watched college game across any network in a decade.

The Saturday telecast of Michigan’s 45-23 win over Ohio State drew 17 million viewers — good for the most-watched regular-season college game in the network’s history.

That’s more than the 15.4 million viewers for Fox’s telecast of the USA vs. England World Cup soccer match on Black Friday. 

  • The Wolverines’ road win over the Buckeyes was the most-watched college football game (excluding bowls and conference championships) on any network since 2011. The numbers were bolstered by Nielsen’s addition of out-of-home ratings in bars and restaurants.
  • Viewership peaked at 19.6 million viewers. The telecast was up 3% from last year’s comparable game window.

The impressive performance came after Fox drew a massive 42 million viewers for its Thanksgiving Day telecast of the Dallas Cowboys’ 28-20 win over the New York Giants.

That was the biggest audience for an NFL regular-season game since the “Monday Night Football” clash between Joe Montana’s San Francisco 49ers and Lawrence Taylor’s Giants on Dec. 3, 1990.

Fox could pop another big number Tuesday as the USA faces Iran in Qatar in a must-win match.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Revenue-Sharing Chaos Begins as Texas Tech Secures Five-Star OT

The Red Raiders spent more than $10 million in the winter transfer portal.

Commanders’ $3.8B Stadium Deal in Jeopardy? Mayor Sounds the Alarm

Political tensions rise about delays in stadium funding approval.
Ohio State

Collectives Funnel $20 Million to College Athletes on Last Day Before Revenue..

Collectives frontloaded payments just before the revenue sharing era begins July 1.
exclusive

ESPN, Fox Reluctant to Share Talent With Netflix for Christmas NFL Games

ESPN talents who worked last year’s games include Laura Rutledge and Mina Kimes.

Featured Today

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.
July 3, 2025

Geoffrey Esper Can’t Catch a Break at Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest

“Hot dogs is not one of my favorite competitions of the year.”

Paramount Settles Trump Suit Ahead of NFL Season, Skydance Merger

The deal likely allows the much larger Skydance merger deal to proceed.
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.
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.
Sponsored

Hottest Matchups Following NFL Schedule Release

The NFL released the 2025 regular-season schedule, and anticipation is already building in the ticket marketplace with four months to go.
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.
June 19, 2025

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

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

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