ESPN’s annual Labor Day college football game delivered one of the network’s largest ever regular season audiences.
Monday’s Ohio State/Virginia Tech game drew 10.6 million viewers on ESPN, up 193% from Miami/Louisville last year (3.6M), up 137% from Florida State/Pittsburgh in 2013 (4.5M), and the network’s third-largest regular season college football audience. The Buckeyes’ win trails only last year’s Auburn/Alabama Iron Bowl (13.5M) and a USC/Ohio State game in 2009 (10.586M to 10.585M).
It also ranks as the most-watched Labor Day college football telecast on any network since at least 2001, topping the previous high of 9.9 million for Boise State/Virginia Tech on ESPN in 2010. In ratings, its 6.0 was the highest since Boise State/Virginia Tech in 2010 (6.3).
The game scored a 3.8 rating among adults 18-49, up 217% from last year (1.2) and up 124% from 2013 (1.7). The 3.8 is the highest for any sporting event since the FIFA Women’s World Cup final in July.
(Mon. numbers via ShowBuzz Daily)
