The Pro Bowl ratings continue to decline despite the NFL revising the format and trying to get more fans interested in the game held a week before the Super Bowl.
According to Austin Karp of the Sports Business Journal, the Pro Bowl drew a 5.0 overnight rating on ESPN — likely the lowest ever.
Sunday night’s game was down sharply from ESPN’s 5.6 rating in 2015 and NBC’s 6.7 in 2014.
Seven different Team Irvin players caught touchdown passes, and their teammates intercepted six passes in a 49-27 win over Team Rice on Sunday at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu.
Team Irvin quarterback Russell Wilson threw three touchdown passes, and Teddy Bridgewater and Jameis Winston each threw two scoring passes, much to the delight of captain and vocal supporter Michael Irvin.
Continuing the revised format that debuted with the 2014 Pro Bowl, Irvin and captain Jerry Rice had final say over the roster’s draft decisions. Each legend was assisted in the draft process by defensive legend co-captains, two active player captains and one NFL.com fantasy champion. The Pro Bowl remained “unconferenced,” with several key playing rules changed. Players were selected without regard to conference in voting by fans, coaches and players and later assigned to Pro Bowl teams via a fantasy football-style draft.