Rose Bowl ratings were among the highest in cable television history.
Monday’s Georgia-Oklahoma Rose Bowl had a 13.7 rating and 26.9 million viewers across ESPN and ESPN2, up 28% in ratings and 36% in viewership from last year’s Peach Bowl (Alabama-Washington: 10.7, 19.8M) and up 50% and 68% respectively from the Orange Bowl two years ago (Clemson-Oklahoma: 9.1, 16.0M). Figures include TV and streaming viewership.
ESPN alone had a 13.1 and 25.9 million, while ESPN2 drew a 0.6 and 1.1 million for abbreviated Megacast coverage.
Compared to the last playoff game at the Rose Bowl, Oregon-Florida State in 2015, ratings fell 7% from a 14.8 and viewership 5% from 28.3 million. Last year’s USC-Penn State Rose Bowl, which had no national title implications, had an 8.6 and 16.0 million.
The Bulldogs’ win ranks as the most-watched college football game, including national championships, since the inaugural year of the playoff in 2015. It topped last year’s national championship by 3% (26.0M) and the previous year’s title game by 1% (26.7M).
That was just one of several superlatives. It was the fifth-most watched program — sports or otherwise — in cable television history. The 2015 playoff games and 2011 national championship hold the top spots.
Outside of 2015, it was the most-watched Rose Bowl since 2006 (USC-Texas: 35.6M). That was the last year it hosted the national championship.
Finally, it was the fourth-most watched sporting event outside of the NFL or Olympics since the 2015 playoff. The top three: Game 7 of the 2017 World Series (29.3M), 2016 World Series (40.9M) and 2016 NBA Finals (31.6M).
Later in the night, Alabama-Clemson had an 11.4 and 21.5 million in the Sugar Bowl — up 16% in ratings and 9% in viewership from last year’s Fiesta Bowl (Clemson-Ohio State: 9.8, 19.6M) and up 19% and 13% respectively from the Cotton Bowl two years ago (Alabama-Michigan State: 9.6, 18.9M).
ESPN pulled a 10.8 and 20.4 million, while the ESPN2 Megacast had a 0.6 and 1.1 million.
Compared to the last playoff game at the Sugar Bowl, Ohio State-Alabama in 2015, ratings and viewership fell 25% from a 15.2 and 28.5 million. Last year’s Oklahoma-Auburn Sugar Bowl had a 5.6 and 9.7 million.
Alabama’s rout trails only 2015 as the most-watched Sugar Bowl since 2004. That was the last year it served as the national championship (LSU-Oklahoma: 23.9M).
[Numbers from Programming Insider 1.3, ESPN]
