Ratings for the Rose Bowl were the lowest in the history of the game.
Friday’s Stanford/Iowa Rose Bowl earned a 7.4 final rating and 13.6 million viewers on ESPN, down 28% in ratings and 27% in viewership from Michigan State/Stanford in 2014 (10.2, 18.6M) and down 21% and 20%, respectively, from Stanford/Wisconsin in 2013 (9.4, 17.0M). Last year’s Oregon/Florida State Rose Bowl, part of the College Football Playoff, had a 14.8 and 28.2 million.
Stanford’s blowout win ranks as the lowest rated Rose Bowl in history, falling well below the previous mark set in 2013. The four lowest rated Rose Bowl games have aired on ESPN, which has aired six total.
The last time the Rose Bowl aired on a broadcast network, Ohio State/Oregon in 2010, it had a 13.2 and 24.0 million. Keep in mind that was an unusually strong performance; USC/Penn State had a more modest 11.7 and 20.6 million the year before.
Despite the decline, the Rose Bowl was easily the highest rated and most-watched non-playoff bowl this season. No other game managed to hit the ten million mark.
(Fri. numbers from ESPN, ShowBuzz Daily)
