Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl 2015 TV Ratings

The two games of the inaugural College Football Playoff Semifinals on ESPN on Thursday, Jan. 1, delivered the largest two audiences in cable television history:

· The Rose Bowl Game Presented by Northwestern Mutual at 5 p.m. ET – Oregon defeating previously unbeaten Florida State 59-20, the largest margin of victory in the Rose Bowl Game since 1948 – averaged 28,164,000 viewers (P2+), based on a 14.8 rating, according to Nielsen.

· The Allstate Sugar Bowl at 9 p.m. – Ohio State 42-35 over top-seeded Alabama – averaged 28,271,000 viewers, based on a 15.2 rating.

“These record-setting numbers illustrate the enormous fan interest in college football and the wide-ranging appeal of the new College Football Playoff format,” said John Wildhack, ESPN executive vice president, programming and production. “We are excited to build upon this success when we showcase the first-ever College Football Playoff National Championship on ESPN on January 12.”

Both games generated significant increases over the ESPN bowl games in the respective January 1 time slots a year ago: a 51 percent increase in viewership for the Rose Bowl Game (vs. 18,636,000) and 150 percent increase for the Sugar Bowl (vs. 11,304,000). The ratings rose 45 percent (from 10.2) and 130 percent (from 6.6), respectively.

ESPN programming now holds the largest 18 audiences in cable television history, and 36 of the top 40.