The NFL is king in America, but it looks like The Ohio State University can make it rain on a network as well.
Only two non-NFL sporting events cracked the top 11 of the nation's top 50 highest rated sporting events of the year, and Ohio State played in both of them.
From SportsMediaWatch.com:
| RANK | SPORT | EVENT | TEAMS | NETWORK | RATING | VIEWERS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NFL | SUPER BOWL 49 | PATRIOTS/SEAHAWKS | NBC | 47.5 | 114.44M |
| 2 | NFL | NFC CHAMPIONSHIP | SEAHAWKS/PACKERS | FOX | 27.4 | 49.84M |
| 3 | NFL | NFC DIVISIONAL ROUND | COWBOYS/PACKERS | FOX | 24.9 | 44.38M |
| 4 | NFL | NFC WILD CARD | LIONS/COWBOYS | FOX | 23.6 | 42.32M |
| 5 | NFL | AFC CHAMPIONSHIP | COLTS/PATRIOTS | CBS | 22.5 | 42.14M |
| 6 | NFL | AFC DIVISIONAL ROUND | COLTS/BRONCOS | CBS | 23.3 | 41.82M |
| 7 | CFB | CFP CHAMPIONSHIP | OHIO STATE/OREGON | ESPN | 18.6 | 34.15M |
| 8 | NFL | AFC DIVISIONAL ROUND | RAVENENS/PATRIOTS | NBC | 19.6 | 34.05M |
| 9 | NFL | NFC DIVISIONAL ROUND | PANTHERS/SEAHAWKS | FOX | 17.2 | 31.02M |
| 10 | NFL | AFC WILD CARD | BENGALS/COLTS | CBS | 17.0 | 28.30M |
| 11 | CFB | CFP SEMI-FINAL | OHIO STATE/ALABAMA | ESPN | 15.2 | 28.27M |
The highest rated non-football event was CBS' basketball broadcast of the Duke/Wisconsin NCAA championship game. It drew a 16.0 rating, which was good for 28.26 million viewers and No. 12 overall.
It's easy to see why networks fight tooth-and-nail for NFL broadcasting contracts, but it's also easy to see why the upcoming Big Ten contract would be a nice addition for any network. After all, it's the only conference that includes The Ohio State Buckeyes as a member.
