Allstate Sugar Bowl is most viewed bowl of 2020 postseason

Sugar Bowl Surges Past 100 Million Viewers in CFP Era

NEW ORLEANS — The College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Allstate Sugar Bowl was the most viewed bowl game of the 2020 college football season as 19.1 million viewers tuned in to see No. 3 Ohio State upend No. 2 Clemson in a 49-28 showcase of offenses.

The Sugar Bowl was just ahead of the Rose Bowl Playoff Semifinal, which had 18.9 million viewers – those two games were the most-viewed cable telecasts since the 2020 College Football Playoff National Championship game. They were also the best non-NFL sporting events across any network since last year’s CFP title game. It was the third-most watched day ever for the family of ESPN networks.

The Buckeyes and Tigers combined for more yards (1,083) than any two teams in the 87-year history of the Sugar Bowl. Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields set the Bowl’s touchdown record by throwing for six scores and Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence became just the third Sugar Bowl quarterback to throw for 400 yards.

With this year’s semifinal, the Allstate Sugar Bowl’s viewership also surpassed 100 million (112,059,000) since the start of the CFP era in 2014.

The Allstate Sugar Bowl has established itself as one of the premier college football bowl games, having hosted 28 national champions, 97 Hall of Fame players, 50 Hall of Fame coaches and 18 Heisman Trophy winners in its 87-year history. The 2022 Allstate Sugar Bowl, which will feature top teams from the SEC and the Big 12, is scheduled to be played on January 1, 2022. In addition to football, the Sugar Bowl Committee annually invests over $1.6 million into the community through the hosting and sponsorship of sporting events, awards and clinics. Through these efforts, the organization supports and honors thousands of student-athletes each year, while injecting over $2.7 billion into the local economy in the last decade.