{
  "id": 15917722,
  "title": "College Football’s Emerging Powers Are Shaking Up TV Ratings",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/21/college-footballs-emerging-powers-are-shaking-up-tv-ratings",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-21T17:17:39.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Front Office Sports",
    "slug": "front-office-sports",
    "url": "https://frontofficesports.com/article/college-footballs-emerging-powers-are-shaking-up-tv-ratings/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The landscape of college football is undergoing a significant shift, not just in the poll rankings, but also in television ratings. Ohio State's recent victory over Indiana, which drew an average of 10.38 million viewers on Fox, has set a new benchmark for regular-season matchups involving Indiana since head coach Curt Cignetti took over in 2024. This marks the fourth game this season to surpass the 10 million viewer mark, with three of these contests featuring SEC teams. The previous high for Indiana regular-season viewership on Fox was just 6.03 million against Penn State last November.\n\nBYU has also made a notable impact on the college football TV ratings scene. Their 28-24 win over Notre Dame on Saturday night garnered an impressive 9.2 million viewers on ABC, making it the most-watched Big 12-controlled game since 2022. ESPN's College GameDay, which featured Pat McAfee reading from the Book of Mormon, achieved its highest viewership of the season with 3 million viewers during the Provo broadcast. GameDay will continue its in-state coverage this weekend, broadcasting from Salt Lake City for the upcoming Big 12 showdown between No. 10 Utah and No. 14 Houston.\n\nOverall, college football viewing across all Nielsen-rated networks has increased by 3% compared to the first seven weeks of the 2025 season, according to Fox Sports executive Mike Mulvihill. In September, FBS game broadcasts averaged 1.7 million viewers, which was down 11% from the previous season. This rise in viewership suggests that emerging powers like Ohio State and BYU are challenging the status quo and captivating audiences with their performances on the field.",
  "summary": "BYU–Notre Dame averaged 9.2 million viewers on ABC.",
  "key_points": [
    "Ohio State's win over Indiana drew 10.38 million viewers, setting a new benchmark.",
    "BYU's 9.2 million viewership against Notre Dame is the most-watched Big 12 game since 2022.",
    "College football viewing across all networks increased by 3% this season."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}