Though it paled in comparison to Rose Bowl, Tuesday’s Sugar Bowl on ESPN drew substantially better numbers than the network’s coverage of the Orange and Fiesta Bowls.
The Ohio State/Arkansas game drew an 8.2 U.S. rating and 13.635 million viewers on ESPN Tuesday night, down 4% in ratings and 12% in viewership from last year (UF/CIN: 8.5, 15.533 mil), but up 5% and 2%, respectively, from 2009 (UTAH/ALA: 7.8, 13.369 mil).
This marks the third-lowest rated Sugar Bowl of the BCS era, and the tenth-lowest rated since the 1985-86 season.
That said, the game ranks as the second-most viewed non-NFL program in ESPN history, behind only Saturday’s Rose Bowl (TCU/WISC: 20.558 mil). The previous #2 telecast was Saturday’s Fiesta Bowl, which drew nearly three million fewer viewers (CONN/OK: 10.819 mil).
This year’s BCS now accounts for the four largest non-NFL audiences ever on ESPN.
Prior to airing the BCS, ESPN’s largest non-NFL audience was 10.622 million viewers for a Cubs/Cardinals MLB regular season game in 1998, when Mark McGwire hit his 61st home run of the season.
(Ratings/viewership from Sports Business Daily)
