The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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DECEMBER 2017 THE WOLVERINE 13 INSIDE MICHIGAN ATHLETICS CUGENQ37 L8F7 L8F7 L8F7 Michigan is a national brand, and backing that up are the school's television numbers through the first 10 weeks of the college football season. Michigan averages a 3.07 TV rating when on a national broad- cast — the highest mark in the country. The Wolverines have been on national TV seven times this season and average a nation-high 5.114 million viewers per broadcast. They've been watched by 35.797 million total fans this season across those games. Alabama has the most total viewers this season, with 42.116 million, but has been on national TV nine times compared to Michigan's seven (the other two U-M games were on Big Ten Network). The Crimson Tide average a 2.71 rating and 4.68 mil- lion viewers per game. Ohio State has also been on national TV seven times and is just a tick below Michigan in viewership. The Buckeyes have had 35.231 million total viewers, averaging 5.033 million per game — racking up a 2.86 average TV rating. Michigan has played in the most-watched individual game of the week three times this year — week six against Michigan State, week seven against Indiana and week eight against Penn State. In week one against Florida, Michigan's tilt was the second- most watched game in the country. Heading into the Nov. 11 slate of contests, that game, which received a 4.9 rating and had 7.805 million viewers, was the third-most watched game of the entire season, behind Alabama-Florida State in week one (6.9), and Ohio State-Penn State (5.75) in week nine. In week two against Cincinnati, Michigan was in the fourth- most watched contest of the week. In week four against Pur- due, the Wolverines were the third-most watched team. The only time Michigan has not been in the top four of na- tional ratings was Nov. 4 against Minnesota. The game — which started an hour later than scheduled due to bad weather — was sixth in the country with a 1.7 rating. Alabama has been the most-watched team twice, week one and week 10 (Florida State and LSU, respectively). It was second behind Michigan in weeks six, seven and eight. Ohio State was the most-watched team twice as well, week two against Oklahoma and week nine against Penn State. Michigan has shown it is a draw in any time slot. Two of the three times it was the highest-rated game of the week, Michi- gan was playing at night, while the third (Indiana) was a noon start. Florida and Purdue were both mid-afternoon kickoffs. Five of the seven games were televised on ABC, including the three games that were No. 1 of the week and Michigan's overall most-watched game against Florida. The other two (Purdue, Minnesota) were on FOX. Big Ten Network broadcasts are not considered nationally televised games. Michigan was on BTN in week three against Air Force, week nine against Rutgers and in week 11 at Mary- land, before finishing the year with games at Wisconsin and at home against Ohio State. Both are on FOX with noon eastern kickoffs, and the latter especially is a candidate to be the most- watched game of the week. — Andrew Vailliencourt MICHIGAN FOOTBALL IS AVERAGING THE MOST TV VIEWERS PER GAME IN THE COUNTRY