The Outback Bowl scored easily the largest audience in the history of ESPN2.
The Wisconsin/Auburn Outback Bowl drew 6.4 million viewers on New Year’s Day, up 18% from LSU/Iowa on ESPN last year (5.4M) but down 15% from South Carolina/Michigan on ESPN in 2012 (7.6M). Compared to last year’s Gator Bowl, which aired in the same timeslot on ESPN2, viewership increased 42% over 4.5 million.
The Badgers’ win ranks as the most-watched program in ESPN2 history, and by a wide margin. The previous high was 4.9 million for a Germany/France World Cup match in July, and the high prior to that was 4.6 million for an Athletics/Red Sox baseball playoff game in 2003.
The previous high for a college football game on ESPN2 was the 4.5 million for last year’s Gator Bowl.
ESPN and ESPN2 both had dramatic increases in viewership for the early New Year’s Day games. In addition to the 42% timeslot increase on ESPN2, ESPN’s Cotton Bowl coverage was up 67% from last year’s Outback Bowl on the network. Final numbers were not yet available for the Citrus Bowl on ABC.
Despite the impressive performance, Wisconsin/Auburn still ranks as the second-least watched Outback Bowl since the 2009-10 season (5.7M).
(Thu. numbers from ShowBuzz Daily)
