Through the first six weeks of the college football season, viewership and TV ratings have surged. ABC led the charge and continued to do so in Week 6. Alabama’s win over Vanderbilt became the most-watched game on the slate and led the afternoon window with 6.4 million viewers on ABC, ESPN announced Tuesday. That makes […]
Through the first six weeks of the college football season, viewership and TV ratings have surged. ABC led the charge and continued to do so in Week 6.
Alabama’s win over Vanderbilt became the most-watched game on the slate and led the afternoon window with 6.4 million viewers on ABC, ESPN announced Tuesday. That makes it the 12th most-watched game of the 2025 season, according to data compiled by On3. Miami’s victory at Florida State followed close behind at 6 million to lead the primetime window.
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While ABC led the late-afternoon and primetime slots, FOX had the top game in the early window. Michigan’s win over Wisconsin drew 4.6 million viewers to check in as the third most-watched game of the Week 6 slate, FOX announced.
Another notable matchup took place in Gainesville as No. 9 Texas headed to The Swamp to take on Florida. It was also a battle between two of the top preseason quarterbacks as Arch Manning and DJ Lagway squared off. Ultimately, Lagway and the Gators pulled off the upset, defeating Manning and the Longhorns. That game – in 3:30 p.m. ET slot on ESPN – drew 4 million viewers to lead the network.
FS1 also got a TV ratings win in the late afternoon as Nebraska’s victory over Michigan State averaged 1.5 million viewers. That made it the network’s most-watched game since 2022.
Full TV ratings data for Week 6 of college football was not available at the time of publication. However, entering the week, viewership was up nearly 20% over the last year.
Vanderbilt-Alabama, Miami-FSU deliver in Week 6
The highly anticipated rematch between Vanderbilt and Alabama had plenty of storylines. The Commodores upset the Crimson Tide in Nashville last year, led by quarterback Diego Pavia. With Pavia back for another year, this season’s game at Bryant-Denny Stadium became a big one.
At first, it looked like Vanderbilt would be able to replicate last year’s performance. But Ty Simpson, Jam Miller and the Crimson Tide took full control to eventually come away with the 30-14 victory.
That set the table for primetime on ABC as Miami and Florida State squared off in an important ACC showdown. The Hurricanes flew out to a 28-3 lead heading into the fourth quarter, but Tommy Castellanos and the Seminoles mounted a charge to get within 28-22.
Miami was able to hold on, though, draining the clock in the fourth quarter and sealing the victory. The Hurricanes stayed undefeated while the Seminoles dropped to 3-2, with both losses coming in ACC play.
Category: General Sports
