Capital One Bowl Returns to ABC; Outback to ESPN

Posted by | 08/24/2012 at 12:57 pm

After a two-year absence, the Capital One Bowl is returning to network television.

The 2013 Capital One Bowl will air on ABC January 1 at 1:00 PM ET, marking the first time the game has aired on the network since 2010. The game aired on ESPN in each of the past two seasons.

With the Capital One Bowl airing on ABC, the Outback Bowl will return to ESPN.

The move should give the Capital One Bowl a boost in ratings. In two seasons on ESPN, the game drew ratings of 3.7 (2011) and 2.9 (2012). By comparison, the previous fifteen editions of the game on ABC (1996 to 2010) drew at least a 5.0 rating.

Ratings/Viewership For the Capital One Bowl
Past decade

Year Date Winner Loser Net Rating Viewers (000)
2012 Mon., 1/2/12 S. Carolina Nebraska ESPN
2.9
4,499
2011 Sat., 1/1/11 Alabama Michigan St. ESPN
3.7
6,045
2010 Fri., 1/1/10 Penn State LSU ABC
6.9
11,691
2009 Thu., 1/1/09 Georgia Miss. State ABC
6.4
10,839
2008 Tue., 1/1/08 Michigan Florida ABC
9.1
14,780
2007 Mon., 1/1/07 Wisconsin Arkansas ABC
5.8
9,615
2006 Mon., 1/2/06 Wisconsin Auburn ABC
5.2
7,799
2005 Sat., 1/1/05 Iowa LSU ABC
5.5
8,730
2004 Thu., 1/1/04 Georgia Purdue ABC
7.4
11,595
2003 Wed., 1/1/03 Auburn Penn State ABC
5.9
9,451
2002 Tue., 1/1/02 Tennessee Michigan ABC
6.5
10,800

(Information from ESPN Media Zone)

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  • Schmolik

    I believe the last two years the Outback Bowl (on ABC) got higher ratings than the Capital One Bowl got even though the Capital One got a higher pick from the SEC and Big Ten. ABC has a much bigger potential viewing audience. Disney should realize that and put the Rose Bowl and the BCS Championship Game back on ABC.