College Football Ratings Plummet as WNBA Surpasses Viewership
College football ratings drop sharply as WNBA game surpasses viewership, signaling a shift in popularity.
2 min read
College football, which has seen a meteoric rise in popularity in recent years, is now experiencing a dramatic decline in ratings. According to a report from Front Office Sports (FOS), FBS game broadcasts are averaging 1.6 million viewers across all Nielsen-rated networks, marking an 11% drop compared to the first nine weeks of the 2025 season.
WNBA Outperforms College Football
Game 7 of the WNBA Finals drew 3.3 million viewers, surpassing the viewership of any college football game on cable. This is particularly notable because the WNBA game was broadcast on USA Network, a relatively weaker channel, compared to ESPN and other major networks that typically carry college football.
Factors Behind the Ratings Decline
Stewart Mandel of The Athletics suggests several reasons for the drop in viewership. One key factor is the less exciting nonconference schedule this season. The 48 nonconference games so far have averaged 3.2 million viewers, down 9% from last season. In contrast, the 76 conference games saw a more modest decline of 4.9%.
Mandel also points to bad luck, such as the contrast between last year’s close LSU-Clemson matchup and this year’s one-sided game. Last year’s Week 1 game on ABC drew 10.5 million viewers, while this year’s game on the same network only attracted 5.7 million.
Top Teams Struggle
Some of the top teams in the Big Ten have underperformed, turning what could have been a blockbuster October TV slate into a series of underwhelming games. While Ohio State-Indiana on Oct. 17 was a hit with 10.4 million viewers on Fox, other matchups like Penn State-Michigan and USC-Penn State failed to attract large audiences.
Hope for a Ratings Recovery
This upcoming weekend’s schedule offers some hope for a reversal in ratings. Notre Dame faces a crucial primetime matchup against Miami, with playoff implications at stake. Meanwhile, Alabama and LSU will clash in a game that could determine their postseason futures.
Source: Breitbart
