The first college football playoff generated huge overnight ratings on ESPN.
The Oregon/Florida State Rose Bowl, part of the College Football Playoff, drew a 15.5 overnight rating on ESPN Thursday afternoon — up 38% from Michigan State/Stanford last year (11.2) and up 62% from Stanford/Wisconsin in 2013 (9.6).
In the nightcap, the Ohio State/Alabama Sugar Bowl drew a 15.3 overnight — up 65% from Oklahoma/Alabama last year (9.3) and up 139% from Louisville/Florida in 2012 (6.4).
The games rank as the fourth and fifth highest rated cable programs ever in the metered markets, trailing only three BCS National Championship Games — FSU/Auburn on ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNEWS last year (15.7), Alabama/Notre Dame on ESPN in 2013 (15.7) and Auburn/Oregon on ESPN in 2011 (16.1).
The 15.5 for the Ducks’ blowout of FSU is the highest for the Rose Bowl since the Texas/USC BCS National Championship Game in 2006 (22.7), and the highest for a non-championship game since Michigan/Washington State in 1998 (19.0) — the last year of the pre-BCS era.
The 15.3 for the Buckeyes’ upset of Alabama is the highest Sugar Bowl overnight since the FSU/Virginia Tech BCS championship in 2000 (16.7), and likely the best ever for a non-championship game.
(Thu. numbers from ESPN Media Zone)
