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Report: Heisman Trophy ceremony draws lowest rating in history of event
By Adam Spencer
Published:
Heading into Saturday night’s Heisman Trophy ceremony, many believed Oklahoma QB Baker Mayfield was going to win the trophy.
They were proven right, as the talented Sooner won the Heisman in one of the most-lopsided votes ever, dominating the rest of the college football world.
That didn’t make for compelling television, though, as not many viewers tuned in to watch the ceremony. In fact, according to Sports Business Daily’s Austin Karp, it was the lowest-rated Heisman ceremony ever:
Per @AustinKarp: The Heisman Trophy presentation on ESPN drew a 1.5 overnight rating, the lowest-rating in history and down 12% from last year (which was then the least-viewed Heisman show in history). '
— Richard Deitsch (@richarddeitsch) December 11, 2017
The ceremony didn’t feature any SEC players, though Auburn RB Kerryon Johnson (ninth) and Georgia LB Roquan Smith (10th) finished in the top 10 of the voting.
However, inviting more players to the ceremony wouldn’t have solved anything, as it was pretty much a foregone conclusion that Mayfield was going to take home the trophy.
ESPN will cross its fingers and hope that next year’s Heisman race is a little closer and builds up a little more drama heading into the ceremony, otherwise, the ratings may continue to decline.
Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 16 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.
