Despite moving from broadcast to cable, ratings for the Pro Bowl increased substantially from last year.
Sunday’s Pro Bowl drew a 7.9 overnight rating on ESPN, up 36% from last year’s game on NBC (5.8), up 15% from the 2008 game on FOX (6.9), and the highest overnight rating for the event since 2000 (8.7).
To put the numbers in perspective, the Pro Bowl on ESPN drew a higher overnight rating than the Orange Bowl on FOX (7.1) and the final round of last year’s PGA Championship (7.5), which featured a duel between Y.E. Yang and Tiger Woods.
Compared to other All-Star Games, the 7.9 for the Pro Bowl still trails the MLB All-Star Game (10.4). Overnight ratings for last year’s NBA All-Star Game are not available, but the game drew a 4.5 final rating.
The last time ESPN aired the Pro Bowl, it drew just a 3.7 final rating and 6 million viewers — a record low for the game.
