ESPN drew its second-largest college football audience ever for Monday’s Boise State/Virginia Tech thriller.
Boise State’s win over Virginia Tech drew a 6.3 U.S. rating and 9.888 million viewers on ESPN Monday night, up 24% in ratings and 18% in viewership from Miami/Florida State last year (5.1, 8.406 mil), up 54% and 59%, respectively, from Tennessee/UCLA in 2008 (4.1, 6.240 mil) and up 47% in both from Florida State/Clemson in 2007 (4.3, 6.731 mil).
This marks the second-most viewed college football telecast ever on ESPN, behind only USC/Ohio State last September (10.586 mil). The previous second-place holder was Miami/Florida State on Labor Day 2006 (9.120 mil).
The game also stands as the third-most viewed sporting event of the year on cable, behind The Decision on July 8 (9.948 mil) and the NFL Pro Bowl on January 31 (12.297 mil).
Going back further, the game ranks as fourth-most viewed non-NFL telecast ever on ESPN, behind the aforementioned The Decision on July 8 (9.948 mil), USC/Ohio State (10.586 mil) and a regular season Cubs/Cardinals game in ’98 (10.622 mil).
Despite the big numbers, Monday’s game still drew fewer viewers than three NFL preseason games this year — the Cowboys/Bengals Hall of Fame Game on August 8 (11.438 mil), Vikings/49ers on August 22 (10.822 mil) and Steelers/Broncos on August 29 (10.127 mil). Keep in mind that each of those three games aired on broadcast television.
Monday’s game drew a hefty 3.9 rating among adults 18-49, easily topping its cable competition. To put that in perspective, the 2010 MLB All-Star Game on FOX drew a 3.8.
(TV By The Numbers; List of five most-viewed non-NFL telecasts on ESPN found on Sports Business Daily)
