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Iron Bowl sets ratings record, SEC markets generate most viewers for ESPN CFB coverage
By Jordan Cox
Published:
ESPN released details regarding its record season for college football coverage on Wednesday.
Among the firsts, the Iron Bowl set a record for most-viewed regular season telecast ever and finished as the season’s most-viewed game.
In addition, SEC markets paced the top 25 markets for the 2014 season, led by Birmingham, Ala., and Knoxville, Tenn.
The Worldwide Leader’s primetime coverage of Alabama’s 55-44 win over Auburn on Nov. 29 delivered the season’s most-viewed telecast across any network covering college football. The game was watched by 13,529,000 viewers, generating a 7.4 rating. The highest-scoring Iron Bowl ever also garnered 475,000 unique viewers on WatchESPN, a record for the network’s digital product.
Listed below are the top 25 markets for ESPN’s college football coverage in 2014.
| Rank | City | Rating |
| 1 | Birmingham | 9.2 rating |
| 2 | New Orleans | 4.2 rating |
| 3 | Knoxville | 4.1 rating |
| 3 | Greenville | 4.1 rating |
| 5 | Memphis | 3.8 rating |
| 5 | Atlanta | 3.8 rating |
| 7 | Jacksonville | 3.5 rating |
| 8 | Oklahoma City | 3.4 rating |
| 9 | Tulsa | 3.1 rating |
| 10 | Nashville | 2.9 rating |
| 10 | Columbus | 2.9 rating |
| 12 | Louisville | 2.7 rating |
| 13 | Richmond | 2.6 rating |
| 13 | Salt Lake City | 2.6 rating |
| 15 | Charlotte | 2.5 rating |
| 15 | Austin | 2.5 rating |
| 17 | Portland | 2.4 rating |
| 17 | Orlando | 2.4 rating |
| 17 | Las Vegas | 2.4 rating |
| 17 | West Palm Beach | 2.4 rating |
| 21 | Norfolk | 2.3 rating |
| 21 | Dayton | 2.3 rating |
| 21 | Greensboro | 2.3 rating |
| 24 | Raleigh-Durham | 2.2 rating |
| 25 | Tampa-St. Petersburg | 2.1 rating |
| 25 | Phoenix | 2.1 rating |
After living in Birmingham, Ala., Jordan left the ground zero of SEC Nation to head south to Florida to tell the unique stories of the renowned tradition of SEC football. In his free time, his mission is to find the best locales around.
