Ratings and viewership always likely to drop for year two of the College Football Playoff, but a pair of New Year’s Eve blowouts resulted in significant declines.
Thursday’s Alabama/Michigan State Cotton Bowl, part of the College Football Playoff, drew a 9.6 rating and 18.6 million viewers on ESPN per the Associated Press — down 37% in ratings and 34% in viewership from Ohio State/Alabama in last year’s comparable Sugar Bowl (15.2, 28.3M).
The Clemson/Oklahoma Orange Bowl had a 9.0 and 15.6 million earlier in the day, down 39% and 45%, respectively, from last year’s Oregon/Florida State Rose Bowl (14.8, 28.2M).
Last year’s games were the two most-watched programs in cable television history at the time, and currently rank second and third. Neither of this year’s games even cracked the top ten, with the Cotton Bowl ranking highest at #18. Further, the games rank as the lowest rated bowls with championship implications since the formation of the Bowl Coalition in 1992.
Declines were widely expected for this year’s semifinals, primarily due to shift from New Year’s Day to New Year’s Eve — a workday for some potential viewers and a night out for others. Not helping matters was the uncompetitive nature of both games, particularly Alabama’s 38-0 drubbing of Michigan State. While last year’s Rose Bowl was also a blowout, it marked the defeat of a nationally disliked defending champion. In addition, last year’s games received a boost from the novelty of the playoff, which had been desired for decades.
It is almost certain that with the games on New Year’s Day and all other factors the same, viewership would have declined anyway — maybe even by double-digits. Of course, it is also almost certain that the declines would not have been as pronounced.
Though down big from last year, Thursday’s semifinals did well for their respective bowls. Ratings and viewership for the Orange Bowl increased 80% and 75%, respectively, from last year to rank as the highest for game since Penn State/FSU in 2006 (12.3, 18.6M). The Cotton Bowl increased by 85% in ratings and 104% in viewership to rank as the most-watched edition of the game in 25 years.
(Thu. numbers from the Associated Press via USA Today)
