ESPN pulled in big ratings for Week 6’s Georgia-Tennessee game
By Andrew Olson
Published:
Even when one team is down, people still tune in to watch Georgia vs. Tennessee.
The SEC East rivalry clash was a ratings winner for ESPN. The World Wide Leader issued a press release this week boasting that it was one of the season’s most-watched games on cable television:
ESPN’s telecast of Georgia at Tennessee (7:15 p.m.) was the sport’s most-watched primetime game outside of ABC’s Saturday Night Football, as the game averaged 3,901,000 viewers. For ESPN, the audience was up 51% from last year’s same game window (Kentucky at Texas A&M) and delivered the network’s best Saturday audience this season, outside the stand-alone Week Zero matchup between Florida and Miami on Aug. 24.
Viewers saw a stronger-than-expected start from Jeremy Pruitt’s Volunteers with Brian Maurer making his first start at quarterback. UT took a 14-10 lead in the second quarter, but UGA notched 33 unanswered points, taking a 20-14 lead in the second quarter en route to a 43-14 road victory at Neyland Stadium.
Both teams will be airing on ESPN-affiliated networks again in Week 7. Georgia’s home game against South Carolina is set for a noon ET kickoff on ESPN. Tennessee is also set a for a noon home kickoff against Mississippi State, a game that will air on the SEC Network.
Andrew writes about sports to fund his love of live music and collection of concert posters. He strongly endorses the Hall of Fame campaigns of Fred Taylor and Andruw Jones.
