ESPN's BCS MEGACAST Coverage Averages 15.7 Overnight Rating

ESPN's "BCS Megacast" coverage of the VIZIO BCS National Championship - No. 1 Florida State over No. 2 Auburn 34-31 on Monday, Jan. 6 - averaged a 15.7 overnight rating across ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNEWS (the additional eight production variations do not receive overnights). The ESPN-only telecast averaged a 15.3 overnight rating.

This metered-market rating - the highest for all of cable television since the January 2013 BCS National Championship on ESPN - helped drive the network's five-game BCS average to a 9.9 metered market rating, marking a 10 percent increase over a 9.0 rating for last year's five games. The game was also the highest-rated program on Monday, helping ESPN win the night among all networks.

Birmingham led all markets for the telecast with a 55.8 rating, marking the third highest-rated bowl game on ESPN in the market behind the 2011 and 2012 BCS Championships. Jacksonville was the second highest-rated market with a 31.1 rating followed by Knoxville (26.6), Atlanta (25.8), Orlando (24.9), Tampa-St. Petersburg (24.2), Memphis (24.1), Greenville (24.0), Nashville (23.5) and Charlotte (22.2). In addition to being among the top 10 markets, the title matchup was also the highest-rated bowl on ESPN in Jacksonville, Orlando and Tampa-St. Petersburg. All market records date to 2000.

ESPN's telecast of the 2014 VIZIO BCS National Championship was the biggest production of a College Football game to date with a different viewing option across six of its television platforms as well as audio and digital outlets. The "BCS Megacast" presentation featured multiple ESPN personalities, and guest coaches, players and celebrities for coverage across ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNEWS, ESPN Radio, ESPN3, ESPN Classic, ESPN Deportes, ESPN Goal Line and ESPN International.

ESPNU will offer an encore presentation of the "BCS Film Room" option from ESPNEWS today at 4 p.m. ET. The telecast featured Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin, Pitt coach Paul Chryst and Boston College coach Steve Addazio as well as ESPN analysts Matt Millen, Chris Spielman and Tom Luginbill providing in-depth X and O analysis of the game as it happened from a film room equipped with multiple camera angles and touchscreens.

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