Pop-Tarts Bowl between Georgia Tech, BYU registered nearly 9 million viewers
Georgia Tech’s appearance in the Pop-Tarts Bowl on Saturday registered nearly 9 million viewers, according to ESPN.
The game against BYU televised live by ABC in Orlando, Florida, had a TV audience of 8.7 million. That number tied a season high for viewership for Tech.
The Yellow Jackets (9-4) lost 25-21 after its last-minute drive ended with Haynes King throwing an interception in the end zone.
The 8.7 million total made the 2025 game the most-watched Pop-Tarts Bowl (which has undergone several name changes) since 1991. It was also the most-watched bowl game outside of the College Football Playoff or a New Year’s Six matchup since Jan. 1, 2020, when Alabama beat Michigan.
Tech had a TV audience of 8.7 million Nov. 28 when it lost 16-9 to Georgia at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. That game was also televised by ABC and had viewership peak at 11.3 million.
Seven of Tech’s 13 games this season were televised by an ESPN network, with the Jackets’ final two on ABC. The reported numbers for those nine contests gave Tech an average of 3.5 million viewers and a total of nearly 32 million for the season.
Viewership numbers for games against Gardner-Webb (ACC Network Extra), Temple (The CW), Virginia Tech (ACC Network) and Boston College (ACC Network) have not been made available publicly.
The large TV audience this past season is important for Tech, because it relates to the ACC’s revenue-distribution model, which is based on viewership. The incentive-based model gives member schools the opportunity to earn increased viewership distributions from the ACC’s media revenues.
On Nov. 22, according to ESPN, 2 million viewers tuned in to watch Tech lose 42-28 to Pittsburgh at Bobby Dodd Stadium.
On Nov. 1, 604,000 viewers watched North Carolina State beat Tech, then ranked No. 8 and undefeated. That number made Tech-NC State the seventh highest-watched Saturday game on ESPN2 at the time and the highest since Oct. 11.
On Oct. 25, ESPN reported that 1.3 million viewers watched Tech beat Syracuse 41-16. On Sept. 27, ESPN reported 1.9 million viewers saw the Jackets knock off Wake Forest 30-29 in overtime. That matchup was the 10th most-viewed college football game of that day.
On Sept. 13, ESPN reported 4.8 million viewers watched Tech beat Clemson at Bobby Dodd Stadium, a game televised by ESPN. The Jackets won on a 55-yard field goal by Aidan Birr as time expired.
On Aug. 29, ESPN reported 3.7 million viewers tuned in to Tech’s game at Colorado that also was televised by ESPN. The Jackets won that contest 27-20 after King’s 45-yard touchdown run with a little more than a minute left in the fourth quarter.
The viewership measurements are based on Nielsen’s Big Data + Panel methodology, combining Nielsen’s panel measurement with data from cable, satellite set-top boxes and smart televisions across 45 million households and 75 million devices.
Tech averaged 3.1 million viewers during the 2024 season, a number aided by 4.1 million people watching the Birmingham Bowl, 3.46 million during a win over Miami in Atlanta and 11.5 million during an eight-overtime loss at Georgia.
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