Despite a move from broadcast to cable, Monday’s Orange Bowl on ESPN held virtually steady in the overnights.
Stanford’s blowout win over Virginia Tech in the Orange Bowl earned a 7.1 overnight rating on ESPN Monday night, down 1% from last year (IOWA/GT: 7.2, FOX) and up 20% from 2009 (VT/CIN: 5.9, FOX).
Monday’s game drew the third-lowest ever for a Bowl Championship Series telecast, ahead of only the aforementioned 2009 Orange Bowl and the 2011 Fiesta Bowl (CONN/OK: 6.7, ESPN).
That said, this marks the first time since 2006 — the last year before the current five-game format went into place — that the Orange Bowl has not drawn the season’s lowest BCS overnight.
Though low historically, the Orange Bowl did do well relative to cable. The 7.1 overnight is the third-highest ever for college football on ESPN, trailing only USC/Ohio State in September 2009 (7.2) and the 2011 Rose Bowl (TCU/WISC: 11.7).
The BCS, not surprisingly, now accounts for three of ESPN’s five best college football overnights on record.
According to ESPN, last year’s Orange Bowl drew a 7.2 overnight and the 2009 edition drew a 5.9. Previous reports had the 2010 game drawing a 7.1 overnight and the 2009 game drawing a 6.1.
(ESPN)
