via press release:
BCS Championship Scores Biggest Audience for Title Game Since 2006
Last night’s Citi BCS Championship Game on ABC – Alabama’s 37-21 victory over Texas, played at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. – was the most-viewed BCS title game since 2006, the last time ABC broadcast the contest (Texas vs. USC, January 2006, also at the Rose Bowl). An average of 19,730,000 households were tuned in, based on a 17.2 rating. Those both represent an increase of nine percent over last year’s Oklahoma-Florida matchup (18,117,000 homes, 15.8 rating). The increase for viewers (P2+) was 15%, from 26,778,000 people to 30,776,000.
The game generated ABC’s biggest Thursday night audience since October 26, 1995, and the biggest audience for any television network in nearly a year, since ABC’s presentation of the Academy Awards on February 22, 2009.
The game drew particularly large audiences in a number of southeastern and Texas markets. (Bowl records are for all networks, broadcast or cable, and are based on information available as cited below).
Birmingham DMA = 67.4, highest rated Bowl game in Birmingham in recent years. The previous high was the Sugar Bowl, Alabama/Utah on FOX (1/2/09) with a 45.4 rtg.
Austin DMA = 47.8, highest rated Bowl game in Austin in recent years. The previous high was the National Championship Game, USC/Texas on ABC (1/4/06) with a 47.7 rtg.
San Antonio DMA = 37.2, highest rated Bowl game in San Antonio in recent years. The previous high was the National Championship Game, USC/Texas on ABC (1/4/06) with a 36.8 rtg.
Nashville DMA = 33.4, highest rated Bowl game in Nashville in recent years. The previous high was the National Championship Game, Oklahoma/Florida on FOX (1/8/09) with a 24.8 rtg.
Knoxville DMA = 31.7, highest rated Bowl game in Knoxville in recent years. The previous high was the National Championship Game, Florida/OSU on FOX (1/8/07) with a 28.3 rtg.
Atlanta DMA = 29.9, highest rated Bowl game in Atlanta in recent years. The previous high was the National Championship Game, LSU/OSU on FOX (1/7/08) with a 25.6 rtg.
Memphis DMA = 25.1, highest rated Bowl game in Memphis in recent years. The previous high was the National Championship Game, Oklahoma/Florida on FOX (1/8/09) with a 23.9 rtg.
Dallas DMA = 31.3, second highest rated Bowl game in Dallas in recent years. The highest is the National Championship Game, USC/Texas on ABC (1/4/06) with a 34.6 rtg.
Houston DMA = 29.7, second highest rated Bowl game in Houston in recent years. The highest is the National Championship Game, USC/Texas on ABC (1/4/06) with a 36.8 rtg.
This was the good ol’ boy game.
Was at the game with a friend from KABC-Los Angeles. They were also ecstatic with the numbers, as was ABC Network obviously. You could see the ratings dip after Alabama built a quick lead – and before Texas had its 2nd half comeback – so its interesting to think how much higher the rating may have been if the game had been competitive throughout. Regardless, a great number – and no help to BCS haters who would love to see a playoff.
Alabama won the match against Texas just because McCoy wasn’t playing it as he received serious shoulder injury. Had he been playing, there was no way Texas would have lost the match.
I am just wishing that McCoy gets right in a week’s time and could see him performing on the stadium soon.
I Miss U.. McCoy
Bama would have beaten Texas even if McCoy was still in and you know it.
none of the Bama fans are complaining about
GMAC playing with broken ribs
Rolando plaing with a stomach flu
Donte hightower not playing at all
Mark Ingram having cramps
also, Colt McCoy didnt play defense…………. the defense is the one who let Ingram and Richardson rush for 200+ yards on the ground