The off-field battle between ESPN and FOX to establish itself as college football’s premier home has been building for years. Bringing Urban Meyer, Rob Stone, Mark Ingram II, Matt Leinart, and Brady Quinn to the desk, FOX aimed to challenge ESPN’s viewership dominance. They strengthened the lineup further by adding Dave Portnoy earlier this season. His integration meant a partnership between Fox Sports and Barstool Sports, bringing his brand and personality to Big Noon Kickoff. However, things did not unfold as they had hoped.

According to Nielsen’s Big Data viewership, during Week 14, Big Noon Kickoff averaged 4.4 million viewers, more than College GameDay’s 3.0 million, with both broadcasts airing from Ann Arbor. BNK averaged roughly 1.8 million viewers this season, according to Nielsen Big Data, marking a significant year-over-year increase.

Big Noon Kickoff also uses ‘tricks’ To compete with ESPN. The viewership data from Nielsen only counts Big Noon Kickoff’s 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. hour, as Nielsen classifies the 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. slot as a separate program. In addition, BNK’s audience measurement extends beyond noon, capturing viewers who stay on FOX as the network transitions into its kickoff window.

If a viewer watched College GameDay in Week 14 and switched to FOX at noon for Ohio State-Michigan, Nielsen counted that viewer toward Big Noon Kickoff’s audience. BNK’s average viewership that day was measured through roughly 12:15 p.m., a key reason the show reached an average of 4.4 million viewers. However, even with all the tricks and steady growth, FOX still trails ESPN in total viewership.

ESPN still leads the race as college football’s premier broadcaster

Despite losing to FOX in Week 14, ESPN still holds the overall edge. College GameDay averaged 2.7 million viewers this season, according to Nielsen, marking a year-over-year increase similar to Big Noon Kickoff. Notably, ESPN maintained its viewership lead even after temporarily losing access to YouTube TV following a licensing dispute with Disney in October.

The blackout removed ESPN’s content from YouTube TV, limiting access to major college football games, professional sports, and related programming. A new agreement in November restored all Disney-owned content, including College GameDay. In the long run, the dispute may have actually helped ESPN, as GameDay streamed for free on the ESPN app during and after the outage, potentially expanding its audience.

Another factor impacting Big Noon Kickoff’s viewership is FOX’s decision to visit only games airing on its network. That approach limits the show’s visibility compared to its rival. College GameDay, despite frequent criticism over site selection, regularly travels to marquee matchups even when the game itself does not air on ESPN.

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