A scheduling shift boosted Mobile’s annual bowl game to a multi-year high.

Wednesday’s Georgia Southern/Bowling Green GoDaddy Bowl drew 2.4 million viewers on ESPN, up 72% from Toledo/Arkansas State last year (1.4M) and up 38% from Arkansas State/Ball State in 2013 (1.7M). Ratings were not immediately available.

The Eagles’ blowout win ranks as the most-watched edition of the game in four years, since Miami (OH)/Middle Tennessee State in 2011 (2.6M). This year was the first since 2011 in which the game aired on a weekday, after four straight years buried on the Sunday of NFL Wild Card Weekend.

Wednesday’s game earned the second-largest audience of the bowl season thus far, trailing only the Las Vegas Bowl on ABC last Saturday (3.7M). Keep in mind that does not include the FCS Celebration Bowl, which also aired on ABC last Saturday. In addition, the game ranks as just the third of nine bowls thus far to have a year-over-year increase, along with the Las Vegas and Camellia.



(Wed. numbers via ShowBuzz Daily)