Watch CBS News

Early BCS Championship Ratings Down 12 Percent

NEW YORK (AP) — The preliminary television rating for the BCS title game is down 12 percent from last year.

Auburn's last-second 22-19 win over Oregon on Monday night drew a 16.1 overnight rating on ESPN. Last season's Alabama-Texas game earned an 18.2 on Fox, which is available in about 15 percent more homes.

This year's ratings were also hurt by a matchup of two programs with less tradition and national appeal than a year ago.

In the game's first year on cable, it drew the highest cable overnight rating since records began being kept in 2001. The previous high was a 14.4 for last season's Patriots-Saints "Monday Night Football" game on ESPN.

The 16.1 beat two recent BCS titles games: a 15.6 for LSU-Ohio State in 2008 and a 14.6 for USC-Oklahoma in 2005.

Ratings represent the percentage of all homes with televisions tuned into a program. Overnight ratings measure the country's largest markets.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.