Ratings for the Sugar Bowl were the lowest in eighteen years and the third-lowest for any Bowl Championship Series telecast.
The 2012 Sugar Bowl, an overtime victory for #13 Michigan over #11 Virginia Tech, earned a 6.1 U.S. rating and 9.572 million viewers on ESPN Tuesday night — down 26% in ratings and 30% in viewership from last year (OSU/ARK: 8.2, 13.635M), and down 28% and 38%, respectively, from 2010 (FLA/CIN: 8.5, 15.533M, FOX).
The game ranks as the lowest rated Sugar Bowl since the 1993-94 season (FLA/WVU: 5.2, ABC), and the third-lowest rated BCS bowl of all time. Only the 2009 Orange Bowl (VT/CIN: 5.4, FOX) and the 2012 Orange Bowl (WVU/CLEM: 4.5, ESPN) earned lower numbers.
Keep in mind Tuesday’s game faced some unusual competition from political coverage on the cable news networks.
Ratings/Viewership For the Sugar Bowl
Past ten years
Asterisk (*) indicates National Championship Game
|
Season
|
Date
|
Game
|
Net
|
Rating
|
Viewers (000)
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
2011-12
|
Tue., 1/3/12 | MICH 23, VT 20 | ESPN |
6.1
|
9,572
|
|
2010-11
|
Tue., 1/4/11 | OSU 31, ARK 26 | ESPN |
8.2
|
13,635
|
|
2009-10
|
Fri., 1/1/10 | UF 51, CIN 24 | FOX |
8.5
|
15,533
|
|
2008-09
|
Fri., 1/2/09 | UTAH 31, ALA 17 | FOX |
7.8
|
13,369
|
|
2007-08
|
Tue., 1/1/08 | UGA 41, HAW 10 | FOX |
7.0
|
11,702
|
|
2006-07
|
Wed., 1/3/07 | LSU 41, ND 14 | FOX |
9.3
|
14,417
|
|
2005-06
|
Mon., 1/2/06 | WVU 38, UGA 35 | ABC |
9.0
|
13,590
|
|
2004-05
|
Mon., 1/3/05 | AUB 16, VT 13 | ABC |
9.5
|
14,198
|
|
2003-04
|
Sun., 1/4/04 | LSU 21, OK 14* | ABC |
14.8
|
23,937
|
|
2002-03
|
Wed., 1/1/03 | UGA 26, FSU 13 | ABC |
9.2
|
15,107
|
|
2001-02
|
Tue., 1/1/02 | LSU 47, ILL 34 | ABC |
8.6
|
13,058
|
(This year’s numbers from ESPN)
