FOX announces Kansas State vs. Arizona ratings drew over 2 million viewers, set best Friday night in months
FOX Sports debuted ‘FOX College Football Friday’ last week with a Top-20 matchup between teams in the Big 12. It was a major success too now based on the ratings for the game.
FOX released the viewership numbers for No. 20 Arizona at No. 14 Kansas State from Manhattan on Friday in a release on Monday. It was the best night telecast for the network in over five months since the spring with it having 2,582,000 viewers. These stats come per Nielsen Media Research.
The game between Wildcats then peaked over a 15-minute span with 2,883,000 viewers.
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This Big 12 matchup was a unique one as it didn’t actually take place within the conference. Kansas State and Arizona had already set up this game prior to realignment that brought them into the same league. That made it count only against their overall records rather than their ones for the Big 12.
Still, K-State convincingly took this one with a 31-7 victory over ‘Zona. Arizona scored first but then never scored again as Kansas State put up four touchdowns in response with two passing, one rushing, and one on a punt return. They posted 393 total yards, 237 in rushing, with Avery Johnson having his best outing of the season thus far with 266 yards overall and a pair of touchdown passes.
The first-ever ‘FOX College Football Friday’ was a great success for the network based on these ratings. They’ll now hope to have similar numbers going forward with their next being another Top-25 meeting with No. 24 Illinois at No. 22 Nebraska in the Big Ten.
SEC announces TV times, channels for Week 5
The SEC has announced TV times and channels for Week 5.
Most notably, Georgia and Alabama will get the primetime window on ABC with a 7:30 p.m. ET kickoff. The Bulldogs and Crimson Tide will cap the slate of SEC on ABC games. Kentucky at Ole Miss could be in the noon window on ABC, although it could move to ESPN depending on what happens Saturday.
Three games are in play for the coveted 3:30 p.m. ET window. One of Arkansas vs. Texas A&M, Oklahoma vs. Auburn, and Mississippi State vs. Texas will be at that time with the channel decided based on Week 4.
LSU vs. South Alabama will be on SEC Network at 7:45 p.m. ET as well.
The SEC is in the first season of a lucrative media rights deal with Disney, making ABC and ESPN networks the league’s exclusive home. That means the conference will be in the afternoon window previously held by CBS, which now is in partnership with the Big Ten in that slot.