Entering the 2024 college football season, one of the most intriguing storylines from a media perspective was whether or not Fox’s upstart Big Noon Kickoff could continue to close the gap on College GameDay when it came to Saturday pregame superiority.
We got a definitive answer to that question as College GameDay showed it is still the big man on campus for pregame shows.
After weeks of celebrating great viewership figures, ESPN announced that the program had set a record in 2024 with an average of 2.2 million viewers, up 6% compared to last year and the most-watched season in the show’s nearly 40-year history. While that top-line figure is impressive, some of the detailed stats show just how successful the program has been from all angles.
Via ESPN:
ESPN’s College GameDay Built by The Home Depot delivered the most-watched regular season in the show’s 38-year history in 2024. The premier pregame show’s historic campaign included its first international show and campus visits from coast to coast that spotlighted six Top 5 matchups, first-time host Cal and more.
During the record-breaking 2024 season, GameDay averaged 2.2 million viewers for its best season ever – a 6% increase from 2023 and 5% over the prior season high. A GameDay record four telecasts surpassed 2.3 million viewers while the show reached 30 million viewers for the season. The show saw a 34% year-over-year increase in viewership in the 18-24 age range while adults 18-34 were up 14% year-over year.
The show recorded three of its six most-watched episodes since expanding to three hours in 2013 and included its most-watched pre-November episode ever (Week 1), best September episode since the show expanded (Week 5) and best October episode since the show expanded (Week 7).
College GameDay remains the most-watched traditional sports news and studio show on cable and college football’s No. 1 pregame show, outpacing the competition in the final hour by 84% overall and by 155% in the key persons 18-49 demographic.
The long-running ESPN program received a huge boost heading into 2024 with the addition of former Alabama head coach Nick Saban. The multi-time national championship winner has been great as an analyst and unlike his fellow coaching great Bill Belichick, looks to be sticking around in television for at least a little while.
Saban’s addition has been the perfect ingredient to add to the College GameDay mix. And while it hasn’t calmed down Pat McAfee, it’s brought more much-needed balance. There’s the perfect amount of fun with things like McAfee’s kicking competition, serious analysis, and heartwarming exchanges between Kirk Herbstreit and Lee Corso. And college football fans have definitely enjoyed what they have seen this season.
[ESPN]