In its first year on ESPN, the Rose Bowl earned the single largest non-NFL audience in cable television history.
Saturday’s TCU/Wisconsin Rose Bowl drew an 11.3 U.S. rating and 20.558 million viewers on ESPN, according to Nielsen fast-nationals, down 14% in ratings and viewership from last year (OSU/ORE: 13.2, 24.025 mil, ABC), and down 3% and 0.2%, respectively, from 2008 (USC/PSU: 11.7, 20.603 mil, ABC).
The Rose Bowl ranks as the most-viewed non-NFL program in cable television history, topping the previous record set by High School Musical 2 on Disney Channel in 2007 (17.241 mil).
Even including the NFL, Saturday’s game ranks third all-time, behind only Packers/Vikings on ESPN in October ’09 (21.839 mil) and Patriots/Saints on ESPN in November ’09 (21.402 mil).
Those two NFL games and the Rose Bowl the only cable programs ever to draw at least 20 million viewers.
Though a big draw for cable, the game ranked among the lowest rated editions of the Rose Bowl over the past twenty-five years.
The 11.3 rating is tied as the third-lowest for the Rose Bowl dating back to 1986. The only games to draw lower ratings in that span came in 2008 (USC/ILL: 11.1, ABC) and 1989 (MICH/USC: 10.8, NBC).
TCU’s victory drew a 30.0 in Milwaukee and a 20.1 in Dallas-Ft. Worth.
(ESPN)
