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The SEC provided big-time ratings for ABC from the early afternoon right through primetime last Saturday.
The perennial powerhouse conference that carries a ton of subplots each season is even juicier in 2024, with Texas and Oklahoma joining the league. In Week 12, there was SEC intrigue all over the place, and ABC was the beneficiary.
First, in the noon ET slot, Texas struggled a little bit at Arkansas, eventually winning 20-10 but leaving some drama for viewers. That probably helped the ratings on ABC, as 4.6 million watched the telecast. It was the most-watched Week 12 noon game, and it had a peak audience of 5.7 million viewers.
The SEC ratings party on ABC continued in the 3:30 p.m. ET window as Florida took down LSU at The Swamp, which drew 6.0 million viewers. It was the top-rated afternoon game of Week 12, as the Gators turned back the clock a bit with an impressive performance against the reeling Tigers. LSU-Florida had a peak audience of 7.7 million viewers.
The ratings bonanza continued for ABC in primetime with Georgia’s victory over Tennessee, which drew 10.0 million viewers with a peak audience of 11.4 million. Not surprisingly, it was the top-rated primetime game of Week 12.
@ESPNCFB swept Week 12 with ALL 3 @SEC on ABC games winning the day!
@Vol_Football–@GeorgiaFootball | 10.0M viewers
@LSUfootball–@GatorsFB | 6.0M
@TexasFootball–@RazorbackFB | 4.6MPlus, @KU_Football–@BYUfootball scored in ESPN’s late-night window with 1.8M viewers pic.twitter.com/uNSuq2IMg1
— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) November 19, 2024
Week 13 could mean more strong ratings for ABC courtesy of the SEC, with Ole Miss-Florida, Kentucky-Texas and Alabama-Oklahoma on the docket from noon through primetime.
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
