Wisconsin vs Ohio State was college football’s second most-watched game of Week 9

Wisconsin vs Ohio State was college football’s second most-watched game of Week 9:

NBC executives are thrilled today. The draw of primetime Big Ten football is clear, especially when two recognizable brands are taking the field.

Sportsmediawatch.com published the television ratings from Week 9 of college football and slotted in at No. 2 with 4.87 million viewers and a rating of 2.6: Wisconsin vs No. 3 Ohio State. The game trailed only CBS’ Game Of The Week of Florida vs Georgia (5.95 million viewers) as the most-watched game of the day.

These gargantuan numbers will be seen more and more in the coming years as the Big Ten and SEC consolidate many of the country’s top teams. A late-October week will start having 5-6 of these marquee games, as opposed to just one or two.

Executives from NBC, FOX and CBS paid significant sums of money to own Big Ten television rights moving forward. It’s safe to say the return on ratings will be seen from the day the conference’s expand next fall.