Hampered by a lopsided score and NFL competition, the Hawaii Bowl hit a second-straight multi-year low.
Thursday’s San Diego State/Cincinnati Hawaii Bowl drew 1.6 million viewers on ESPN, down 14% from Rice/Fresno State last year (1.9M) and down 40% from Oregon State/Boise State in 2013 (2.7M). Ratings were not immediately available.
The Aztecs’ blowout win ranks as the least-watched Hawaii Bowl in at least the past ten seasons, falling below the previous mark set last year. Keep in mind it was the first Hawaii Bowl ever to face direct competition from an NFL game, airing opposite Chargers/Raiders on NFL Network (7.1M).
Of the 11 bowl games through Thursday, the Hawaii Bowl was the fifth to hit a multi-year viewership low. Viewership was the lowest in nine years for the Poinsettia Bowl, the lowest in eight for the Potato Bowl, the lowest in six for the New Orleans Bowl, and the lowest ever for the New Mexico Bowl. In total, six of the 11 bowl games have had a year-over-year decline.
(Thu. numbers via ShowBuzz Daily)
