With the leading contender having faded down the stretch, the Heisman Trophy Presentation delivered its worst performance in fifteen years.
The Heisman Trophy Presentation had a 1.6 final rating and 2.6 million viewers on ESPN Saturday night, down 16% in ratings and 14% in viewership from last year (1.9, 3.1M), down 20% and 16%, respectively, from 2014 (2.0, 3.2M), and the lowest rating and viewership for the event since 2001 (1.5, 2.2M). The previous 15-year lows were a 1.9 and 2.8 million.
Since Johnny Manziel‘s 2012 win scored a 3.1 and 4.9 million, the Heisman Presentation has declined in each successive year. The past three editions rank among the five lowest rated and least-watched since 2001.
Compared to other standalone awards shows, the Heisman trailed the NFL Honors in February (2.8, 4.4M) and the ESPY Awards on ABC in July (3.6, 5.6M).
Louisville QB Lamar Jackson won the award after a season in which he was the clear favorite but struggled down the stretch.
(Sat. numbers from Programming Insider 12/13)
