Consumption of Bowl games taking place outside of the 12-team College Football Playoff is up 18% year-over-year on ESPN networks, led by strong viewership of the Valero Alamo Bowl this past Saturday between the BYU Cougars and Colorado Buffaloes. Although projected top NFL Draft selection Shedeur Sanders and Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter did not secure the victory, the game averaged 8 million viewers on ABC, the best audience for the game in its history.
Moreover, this contest is the top non-College Football Playoff and non-New Year’s Six Bowl since the Citrus Bowl between Michigan and Alabama in 2019-20. The game garnered a 105% increase in viewership from the average audience of 3.9 million that tuned in to last year’s iteration of the Bowl game on ESPN, according to data from Nielsen Media Research. Commentators for the matchup included play-by-play announcer Dave Pasch, analyst Dusty Dvoracek and reporter Taylor McGregor. Viewership among Bowl Games on ESPN platforms as a whole within the Persons 18-49 demographic is also up 27% year-over-year.
The Pop-Tarts Bowl, which came down to the wire between Iowa State and Miami and produced several viral moments on social media, attained its best audience since 2008 with an average of 6.8 million viewers watching the action on ABC. This game preceded the Valero Alamo Bowl at 7:30 p.m. EST and emanated from Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Fla., achieving a 58% year-over-year rise in viewership. The peak viewership of the tilt was at 8.7 million viewers, and the ESPN app had a live-stream of the game-winning moment featuring the custom-made trophy that also functions as a toaster. Tom Hart, Jordan Rodgers and Cole Cubelic were on the call for teh game airing on ESPN.
Earlier in the day on ABC, the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl, taking place from Yankee Stadium in Bronx, N.Y., averaged 4.2 million viewers. The game between Boston College and Nebraska included Mike Monaco, Kirk Morrison and Dawn Davenport on the call. Viewership of the game, which finished in a 20-15 victory for Nebraska, peaked at 5.1 million viewers. Compared to the previous year’s game between Rutgers and Miami, the Bowl game procured a 40% increase in its average audience.
Taking place on the preceding day, ESPN aired the AutoZone Liberty Bowl between Texas Tech and Arkansas, accruing an average of 4.2 million viewers. This represents the best audience for the matchup since 2015 when it averaged 7 million viewers on the network. Anish Shroff, Andre Ware and Paul Carcaterra called the action on ESPN beginning at 7 p.m. EST on Friday night.
The matchup commenced following the Birmingham Bowl between Georgia Tech and Vanderbilt, which featured Dave Neal, Aaron Murray and Ashley ShahAhmadi on the call. Yet the game entered into a weather delay just after 5:30 p.m. CST due to lightning in the area and resumed about an hour later on ESPNU. The Bowl game broadcast averaged 4.1 million viewers on ESPN, the best audience for the showdown since 2014 and up 53% year-over-year, and peaked at 4.7 million viewers. The game was part of the ABC Saturday tripleheader last year with a matchup of Duke against Troy and averaged 2.67 million viewers.
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