The Pop-Tarts Bowl is warming up more than its famous jumbo-sized toaster.
It’s ESPN’s most-watched non-College Football Playoff bowl game so far this postseason, according to ESPN PR, which reported on Friday a 13% uptick in viewership of those games through Dec. 27.
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As No. 12 BYU rallied to beat No. 22 Georgia Tech 25-21, the Pop-Tarts Bowl averaged 8.7 million viewers, more than the 6.8 million it drew the year before when No. 18 Iowa State eked out a 42-41 victory over No. 13 Miami.
That 6.8 million in 2024 were the most viewers the bowl game had pulled since 2008 when it was called the Champs Sports Bowl.
As for the 8.7 million in 2025, that’s ESPN’s biggest number for a non-CFP or New Year’s Six bowl since the Citrus Bowl during the 2019-20 postseason.
The Pop-Tarts Bowl benefited from another great matchup, once again bringing in a CFP-caliber team. In 2024, Miami fit the bill. This time around, it was BYU, which had lost only two games all season. Both defeats came against Texas Tech, and one of those was in the Big 12 title game.
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The calendar also gave the Pop-Tarts Bowl and other postseason games on the Saturday after Christmas a boost. With people still at home for the holidays, bowls on Dec. 27 performed exceptionally well.
In fact, that’s when ESPN’s top-three most-watched non-CFP bowls through that date were played.
The Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl, which saw Penn State take down Clemson 22-10 at Yankee Stadium, averaged 7.6 million viewers. The TaxSlayer Gator Bowl, which featured ACC runner-up and No. 19 Virginia holding off Missouri 13-7, averaged 6 million viewers, per ESPN PR.
Those games, of course, also provided matchups that were either entertaining or particularly intriguing for at least one fan base involved. In terms of the Pinstripe Bowl, Penn State and Clemson were both ranked in the top four of the preseason AP Poll. Meanwhile, as for the Gator Bowl, UVA was enjoying a special season, and its fans had every reason to watch their Cavaliers notch a program-record 11th win.
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The Pop-Tarts Bowl, though, headlined the day and the list ESPN PR put out Friday. It’s a game Notre Dame potentially could have played in had it not opted out of bowl consideration. For reference, according to Front Office Sports, Notre Dame averaged 3.925 million viewers this season — the 15th-most in the sport — while going 10-2 and narrowly missing the CFP.
While only 3 years old in name, the Pop-Tarts Bowl is already filled with lore. The past two seasons, the winner has received a trophy with a working toaster.
The event has mastered the art of going viral, and its Pop-Tart mascots are behind shenanigans that often make the social media algorithm tick.
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In 2024, the Pop-Tarts Bowl resurrected a toasted and eaten Strawberry Pop-Tart from the previous year’s game.
In 2025, the bowl introduced a ring of honor for its fallen pastries. BYU and Georgia Tech had Pop-Tarts-themed helmets and end zones.
And, naturally, there was another “snackrifice.”
