Michigan State at Ohio State: Highest-Rated Game of Season across All Networks
- Most-Watched Afternoon Game of the Season across All Networks
- Best Rating for Late Afternoon Game on ABC Since 2006
- Fifth Best Regular Season College Football Game on WatchESPN
ABC’s telecast of No. 9 Michigan State at No. 3 Ohio State (3:30 p.m. ET) earned a 6.6 household rating, the highest-rated college football game of the 2015 season across all networks. Season-to-date, ESPN/ABC has televised six of the seven highest-rated games across all networks:
2015 College Football Season: Highest-Rated Games*
| Rank | Rating | Date | Time (ET) | Game | Network |
| 1. | 6.6 | Sat, Nov. 21 | 3:30 p.m. | Michigan State at Ohio State | ABC |
| 2. | 6.4 | Sat, Nov. 7 | 8 p.m. | LSU at Alabama | CBS |
| 3. | 6.0 | Mon, Sept. 7 | 8 p.m. | Ohio State at Virginia Tech | ESPN |
| 4. | 4.8 | Sat, Oct. 17 | 3:30 p.m. | Michigan State at Michigan | ESPN |
| 5. | 4.7 | Sat, Nov. 7 | 3:30 p.m. | Florida State at Clemson | ABC |
| 6. | 4.6 | Sat, Sept. 19 | 9:15 p.m. | Ole Miss at Alabama | ESPN |
| 7. | 4.5 | Sat, Sept 12 | 8 p.m. | Oregon at Michigan State | ABC |
Most-Watched Afternoon Game of 2015 Season*
The 6.6 rating resulted in 11,052,000 viewers, the most-watched afternoon game of the 2015 college football season. Season-to-date, ESPN/ABC has televised the four most-watched afternoon games, across all networks:
| Rank | Viewership | Date | Time (ET) | Game | Network |
| 1. | 11,052,000 | Sat, Nov. 21 | 3:30 p.m. | Michigan State at Ohio State | ABC |
| 2. | 7,563,000 | Sat, Nov. 7 | 3:30 p.m. | Florida State at Clemson | ABC |
| 3. | 7,398,000 | Sat, Oct. 17 | 3:30 p.m. | Michigan State at Michigan | ESPN |
| 4. | 7,298,000 | Sat, Oct. 3 | 3:30 p.m. | Regional: Ohio State at Indiana or Texas Tech at Baylor | ABC |
Includes noon kickoffs as well
Additional Spartans-Buckeyes Superlatives:
- Highest-rated and most-watched ABC 3:30 p.m. game since Nov. 18, 2006, when No. 2 Michigan took on No. 1 Ohio State
- Up 95% to the comparable TV window from the 2014 season (Regional action on ABC: Boston College at Florida State and Wisconsin at Iowa**).
- Top 5 regular season college football game ever on WatchESPN, adding 122,000 average minute impressions to the TV audience and a total of 482,000 unique viewers resulting in 24,700,000 minutes viewed.
*Please note: Michigan at Penn State (noon on ABC) television rating and viewership number is not available until Mon., Nov 30, and thus not accounted for in this release.
**Michigan State at Ohio State was played on Sat., Nov.21, 2015 and comparable year-over-year games were from week 13 of the 2014 season (November 22, 2014)
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Media contact: Derek Volner at 860-384-9986; [email protected] and @DerekVolner
