ESPN saw ratings and viewership double for its coverage of the Music City Bowl.
The North Carolina/Tennessee Music City Bowl earned a 4.2 U.S. rating and 7.107 million viewers on ESPN December 30, up 147% in ratings and 155% in viewership from last year (CLEM/UK: 1.7, 2.790 mil), and up 75% and 95%, respectively, from 2008 (VANDY/BC: 2.4, 3.646 mil).
Last year’s Music City Bowl aired on a Sunday night opposite NBC’s Sunday Night Football.
The Music City Bowl drew the second-best numbers for a non-BCS bowl on cable through January 2, behind only the Chick-Fil-A Bowl.
Later in the night, the Washington/Nebraska Holiday Bowl drew a 3.5 U.S. rating and 5.653 million viewers on ESPN, down 5% in ratings and 8% in viewership from last year (NEB/ARI: 3.7, 6.138 mil), and down 10% and 9%, respectively, from 2008 (OKST/ORE: 3.9, 6.220 mil).
(Ratings/viewership from Sports Business Daily)
