For the first time in three years, ratings increased for college football’s national championship game.
The BCS National Championship Game, featuring Florida winning its second national championship in three years, drew a 17.0/27 overnight rating on FOX, up 9% from a 15.6/23 for LSU/Ohio State in ’07.
The 17.0 overnight is the highest for college football’s national championship game since Florida’s last national title victory in 2007, which drew a 19.1 overnight. Additionally, this marks the first time ratings have increased for the national championship game since 2006, when the Rose Bowl drew a 22.7 overnight — up 54% from the previous year.
Excluding the NFL and the Olympics, the 17.0 overnight is the highest for any sporting event since the aforementioned 2007 BCS National Championship Game, easily surpassing the ratings for events such as the World Series, NBA Finals and NCAA Men’s Basketball Nat’l Championship Game.
Overnights for college football national title game.
since 1998-99
17.0: BCS, Florida/Oklahoma (Thu., 1/8/09, 8 PM FOX)
15.6: BCS, LSU/Ohio St. (Tue., 1/8/08, 8 PM FOX)
19.1: BCS, Florida/Ohio St. (Mon., 1/8/07, 8 PM FOX)
22.7: Rose, Texas/USC (Wed., 1/4/06, 8 PM ABC)
14.7: Orange, USC/Oklahoma (Tue., 1/4/05, 8 PM ABC)
14.4: Sugar, LSU/Oklahoma (Sun., 1/4/04, 8 PM ABC)
18.6: Fiesta, Ohio St./Miami (Fri., 1/3/03, 8 PM ABC)
14.3: Rose, Miami/Nebraska (Thu., 1/3/02, 8 PM ABC)
17.0: Orange, Oklahoma/Florida St. (Wed., 1/3/01, 8 PM ABC)
16.7: Sugar, Florida St./Virginia Tech (Tue., 1/4/00, 8 PM ABC)
17.1: Fiesta, Tennessee/Florida St. (Mon., 1/4/99, 8 PM ABC)
