Overnight ratings for the Orange Bowl bounced back from last year’s record low.
The Florida State/Northern Illinois Orange Bowl drew a 6.5 overnight rating on ESPN Tuesday night, up 44% from West Virginia/Clemson last year (4.5), but down 9% from Stanford/Virginia Tech in 2010 (7.1).
The 6.5 overnight is fourth-lowest ever for a Bowl Championship Series telecast, ahead of only last year’s Orange Bowl, the 2009 Orange Bowl (5.9), and last year’s Sugar Bowl (6.3).
Tuesday’s game was helped by direct lead-in from the Rose Bowl (9.6). The last time the Orange Bowl aired after the Rose on the same network was 2004, when Miami/Florida State drew a 9.7 overnight. The Fiesta Bowl aired after the Rose Bowl in each of the previous two seasons, earning a 9.0 overnight last year and a 6.7 in 2010.
Locally, Tuesday’s game drew a 14.1 rating in Jacksonville, an 11.9 in Orlando, and an 11.1 in Chicago.
(Tuesday’s overnight from ESPN Media Zone)
