- 3.1 million average viewers across 33 games, up 13 percent year-over-year
- Four bowls set all-time viewership records, while 11 reached at least a five-year high and eight hit a 10-year high
- ABC delivered its largest non-CFP bowl audience in 12 years, averaging 6.2 million viewers across six games (24% YOY), with all six bowls posting multi-year highs
ESPN’s coverage of the 2025-26 Bowl Season delivered substantial year‑over‑year gains across non‑College Football Playoff (CFP) games, highlighted by record highs, multi‑year bests and two of the most‑watched non‑CFP/New Year’s Six bowls in recent years.
Across 33 non‑CFP bowls on ESPN networks, average viewership was 3.1 million, up 13 percent year‑over‑year, marking the highest non‑CFP bowl average since the 2015-16 season. Four bowls set all‑time audience records, while 10 reached at least a five‑year high and eight hit a 10‑year high.
The Cheez‑It Citrus Bowl (9.1M) and Pop‑Tarts Bowl (8.7M) were the two most‑watched non‑CFP/New Year’s Six bowls since the 2019-20 season. The Citrus Bowl delivered its best audience since the 2019 season, while the Pop‑Tarts Bowl posted its best viewership since 1991.
Network Highlights
- ABC delivered its largest non‑CFP bowl audience in 12 years, averaging 6.2 million viewers across six games. All six bowls registered multi‑year viewership highs and three recorded their highest audiences in at least 10 years (Pop‑Tarts Bowl, TaxSlayer Gator Bowl and Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl)
- On ESPN, 26 games averaged 2.4 million viewers. These games represent nine of the top 100 most‑watched live events on ESPN since last bowl season (Jan. 4, 2025-Jan. 2, 2026)
Bonus Bowl Season Superlatives
- All‑time records: Four bowls established new audience records: Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl (ABC), Bucked Up LA Bowl (ABC), SERVPRO First Responder Bowl (ESPN) and Scooter’s Coffee Frisco Bowl (ESPN)
- Multi‑year bests across the slate: 11 bowls registered at least five‑year highs and eight reached 10‑year highs (including Pop‑Tarts, Gator, Celebration, Military, Fenway, Las Vegas, Texas, Duke’s Mayo and Independence)
Bowl-By-Bowl Bests
- Cheez‑It Citrus Bowl: Best since 2019-20
- Pop‑Tarts Bowl: Best since 1991
- Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl: Best on record (began 2010 season)
- TaxSlayer Gator Bowl: Best since 2009
- Liberty Mutual Music City Bowl: Best since 2021
- Rate Bowl: Best since 2011
- Bucked Up LA Bowl: Best on record
- Sheraton Hawai’i Bowl: Best since 2013
- Go Bowling Military Bowl: Best since 2018
- Cricket Celebration Bowl: Best since 2022
- New Orleans Bowl: Best since 2014
- Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl: Best since 2022
- Scooter’s Coffee Frisco Bowl: UNLV vs. Ohio (began 2014 season)
- Bush’s Boca Raton Bowl: Best since 2021
- Isleta New Mexico Bowl: Best since 2022
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2025-26 Bowl Season Viewership (non-CFP games)
| Rank | Date | Network | Bowl | P2+ Viewers | Peak |
| 1 | Dec 31 | ABC | Cheez‑It Citrus Bowl: Michigan vs. Texas | 9.1 million | 15 million |
| 2 | Dec 27 | ABC | Pop‑Tarts Bowl: Georgia Tech vs. BYU | 8.7 million | 10 million |
| 3 | Dec 27 | ABC | Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl: Penn State vs. Clemson | 7.6 million | 10.3 million |
| 4 | Dec 27 | ABC | TaxSlayer Gator Bowl: Virginia vs. Missouri | 6 million | 6.8 million |
| 5 | Dec 30 | ESPN | Liberty Mutual Music City Bowl: Tennessee vs. Illinois | 5.4 million | 8 million |
| 6 | Dec 30 | ESPN | Valero Alamo Bowl: USC vs. TCU | 4.9 million | 6.4 million |
| 7 | Dec 31 | ESPN | ReliaQuest Bowl: Iowa vs. Vanderbilt | 4.6 million | 5.7 million |
| 8 | Dec 26 | ESPN | Rate Bowl: New Mexico vs. Minnesota | 4.4 million | 6 million |
| 9 | Dec 13 | ABC | Bucked Up LA Bowl: Boise State vs. Washington | 3.8 million | 4.9 million |
| 10 | Jan 2 | ESPN | AutoZone Liberty Bowl: Navy vs. Cincinnati | 3.4 million | 4 million |
| 11 | Dec 26 | ESPN | SERVPRO First Responder Bowl: Florida International vs. UTSA |
3.1 million | 4.8 million |
| 12 | Dec 31 | ESPN | SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl: Nebraska vs. Utah | 3.0 million | 4.1 million |
| 13 | Dec 27 | ESPN | Kinder’s Texas Bowl: LSU vs. Houston | 2.9 million | 3.6 million |
| 14 | Dec 24 | ESPN | Sheraton Hawai’i Bowl: California vs. Hawai’i | 2.7 million | 3.1 million |
| 15 | Jan 2 | ESPN | Duke’s Mayo Bowl: Wake Forest vs. Mississippi State | 2.6 million | 3.2 million |
| 16 | Dec 27 | ESPN | Go Bowling Military Bowl: Pittsburgh vs. East Carolina | 2.5 million | 3.3 million |
| 17 | Dec 26 | ESPN | GameAbove Sports Bowl: Central Michigan vs. Northwestern |
2.4 million | 2.7 million |
| 18 | Dec 13 | ABC | Cricket Celebration Bowl: South Carolina State vs. Prairie View A&M |
2.3 million | 3.0 million |
| 19 | Dec 23 | ESPN | New Orleans Bowl: Western Kentucky vs. Southern Miss | 2.0 million | 2.4 million |
| 20 | Dec 27 | ESPN | Wasabi Fenway Bowl: UConn vs. Army | 1.8 million | 2.6 million |
| 21 | Jan 2 | ESPN | Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl: Rice vs. Texas State |
1.8 million | 2.1 million |
| 22 | Dec 30 | ESPN | Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl: Coastal Carolina vs. Louisiana Tech |
1.8 million | 2.6 million |
| 23 | Dec 23 | ESPN | Scooter’s Coffee Frisco Bowl: UNLV vs. Ohio | 1.7 million | 2.2 million |
| 24 | Dec 23 | ESPN | Bush’s Boca Raton Bowl of Beans: Toledo vs. Louisville | 1.6 million | 2.4 million |
| 25 | Dec 19 | ESPN | Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl: Memphis vs. NC State |
1.5 million | 1.6 million |
| 26 | Dec 27 | ESPN | Isleta New Mexico Bowl: North Texas vs. San Diego State | 1.4 million | 1.8 million |
| 27 | Dec 22 | ESPN | Famous Idaho Potato Bowl: Washington State vs. Utah State |
1.2 million | 1.4 million |
| 28 | Dec 29 | ESPN | JLab Birmingham Bowl : Georgia Southern vs. App State | 1.2 million | 1.4 million |
| 29 | Dec 17 | ESPN | 68 Ventures Bowl: Louisiana vs. Delaware | 1.2 million | 1.4 million |
| 30 | Dec 17 | ESPN | StaffDNA Cure Bowl: Old Dominion vs. South Florida | 1.2 million | 1.7 million |
| 31 | Dec 16 | ESPN | IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl: Troy vs. Jacksonville State | 958,400 | 1.2 million |
| 32 | Dec 19 | ESPN | Myrtle Beach Bowl Presented by Engine: Kennesaw State vs. Western Michigan |
808,500 | 941,000 |
| 33 | Dec 18 | ESPN2 | Xbox Bowl: Missouri State vs. Arkansas State | 457,100 | 644,000 |
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