The Orange Bowl held up well in the ratings on Monday night, partly because previous editions of the game set the bar very low.
The Stanford/Virginia Tech game earned a 6.7 U.S. rating and 10.682 million viewers on ESPN Monday night, down 2% in ratings and viewership from last year (IOWA/GT: 6.8, 10.879 mil), but up 24% and 15%, respectively, from 2009 (VT/CIN: 5.4, 9.319 mil).
This marks the third-lowest rated Bowl Championship Series telecast ever, ahead of only the aforementioned 2009 Orange Bowl and the 2011 Fiesta Bowl (CONN/OK: 6.2).
Of the four BCS bowls in history that have attracted less than 7% of U.S. television households, three have been Orange Bowls (2009, 2010 and 2011).
Overall, the 6.7 rating is the third-lowest for the Orange Bowl dating back to the 1985-86 season. Only the 2009 game and the 1993 game (FSU/NEB: 4.0) drew lower numbers.
The last five Orange Bowls rank as five of the six lowest rated editions of the game since 1985-86.
Even with the low numbers, Monday’s game ranks as the fourth-most viewed non-NFL program ever on ESPN. That includes Tuesday’s Sugar Bowl.
(Ratings/viewership from Sports Business Daily)
