The Citrus Bowl avoided a multi-year low despite a major timeslot downgrade. In other news, the Gator Bowl scored its worst numbers in years, and the Outback Bowl topped its Cotton Bowl competition.
Bad Timeslot Equals Lower Numbers For Citrus Bowl
- Last Saturday’s LSU/Louisville Citrus Bowl had a 3.9 final rating and 6.4 million viewers on ABC, down 24% in ratings and 27% in viewership from Michigan/Florida last year (5.1, 8.8) but up 8% and 7% respectively from Missouri/Minnesota two seasons ago (3.6, 6.0M). This year’s game aired on New Year’s Eve rather than New Year’s Day and had an earlier late morning start. The Tigers’ win delivered the largest audience of the bowl season outside of the New Year’s Six. (via Sports Business Daily 1/6)
Gator Bowl Ratings Second-Lowest in More Than Two Decades
- Airing opposite the Citrus Bowl, the Georgia Tech/Kentucky Gator Bowl earned a 1.6 final rating and 2.6 million viewers on ESPN last Saturday — down 55% in viewership from Georgia/Penn State last year, ratings for which were unavailable (5.9M), and down 38% and 36% respectively from Tennessee/Iowa in 2015 (2.6, 4.1M). The Yellow Jackets’ win earned the second-lowest Gator Bowl rating since at least 1995 and the game’s second-smallest audience since at least 2001. (via ShowBuzz Daily 1/3)
Outback Bowl Outdraws Cotton
- According to the Orlando Sentinel, Monday’s Florida/Iowa Outback Bowl had a combined television and streaming audience of 6.1 million on ABC and WatchESPN. The TV-only figures were not immediately available. The Gators’ easy win topped competing coverage of the Cotton Bowl on ESPN, which had 5.6 million. Last year’s Outback Bowl had a TV-only audience of 2.8 million, while the 2015 game had 6.4 million. (Orlando Sentinel 1/3)
