Heisman ratings continued a steady downward trend on ESPN.
The annual Heisman Trophy Presentation had a 1.3 rating and 2.18 million viewers on ESPN last Saturday, down 19% in ratings and 18% in viewership from last year (1.6, 2.6M) and down 32% and 29% respectively from 2015 (1.9, 3.1M).
ESPN Nielsen ratings now include streaming viewership on TV devices; all comparisons are to TV-only numbers.
Oklahoma QB Baker Mayfield‘s widely-expected win, the third-largest landslide in Heisman history, posted the event’s lowest rating since at least 1999. The previous low over that span was a 1.5 in 2001. It was the least-watched Heisman since that 2001 telecast, which had 2.17 million viewers.
Heisman ratings and viewership have now declined each year since Johnny Manziel‘s 2012 win, which had a 3.1 and 4.9 million. This year’s figures trail every Heisman from 2007-13 by at least 40%.
Viewership also sank for the College Football Awards two nights earlier. That telecast had 597,000 viewers on ESPN, down 7% from last year (643K) and down 12% from 2015 (675K).
Heisman Ratings Chart
[Sat. numbers via Programming Insider 12.12]
