The 2013-14 college football bowl season got off to a mediocre start.
Saturday’s USC/Fresno State Las Vegas Bowl drew a 2.3 overnight rating on ABC, down 23% from Boise State/Washington on ESPN last year (3.0). While last year’s Las Vegas Bowl faced zero college football competition, this year’s game aired opposite bowl games on ESPN.
Speaking of which, ESPN drew a 1.5 overnight for the San Diego St./Buffalo Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, down 21% from Utah St./Toledo last year (1.9), and down 12% from Ohio/Utah State in 2011 (1.7). The start of the game aired opposite the end of the Las Vegas Bowl.
ESPN also had a double-digit decline for the UL-Lafayette/Tulane New Orleans Bowl, which sank 26% to a 1.4 overnight.
The weekend’s only game to avoid a decrease was the Colorado St./Washington St. New Mexico Bowl, which was flat with a 1.9 overnight. Compared to 2011’s Temple/Wyoming game, the overnight increased 19%.
(Weekend overnights from Sports Business Daily)
