The Fiesta Bowl earned its lowest rating in three decades.
The Boise State/Arizona Fiesta Bowl, part of the New Year’s Six bowl series, drew a 4.6 final rating and 7.4 million viewers on ESPN Wednesday afternoon — down 30% in ratings and 34% in viewership from UCF/Baylor last year (6.6, 11.2M) and down 38% and 40%, respectively, from Oregon/Kansas State in 2012 (7.4, 12.3M).
The Broncos’ win ranks as the lowest rated Fiesta Bowl since at least 1985, falling below the previous mark of 5.8 in the 1997-98 season. During the BCS era (1999-2014), the Fiesta Bowl never dipped below the 6.2 and 10.8 million earned by Oklahoma/Connecticut in 2011. Only one BCS bowl ever earned a lower rating and viewership — the 2012 Orange Bowl between West Virginia and Clemson (4.5, 7.2M).
Wednesday marked only the third time since the formation of the BCS that the Fiesta Bowl took place in the afternoon. In 2002, it earned an 11.3 and 18.2 million viewers in the Rose Bowl’s New Year’s Day timeslot. Four years later, boosted by a marquee Ohio State/Notre Dame matchup, it drew a 12.9 and 20.6 million.
Despite the lower numbers, the Fiesta Bowl improved on last year’s comparable Rice/Mississippi State Liberty Bowl by 171% in ratings (1.7 to 4.6) and 200% in viewership (2.5M to 7.4M). It was the most-watched New Year’s Eve game ever on ESPN in the late afternoon timeslot.
(Wed. numbers via ESPN Media Zone)
