CFP Title Game Draws 30.1 Million Viewers on ESPN
College Football Playoff Championship Viewership Soars
The College Football Playoff (CFP) National Championship game between Indiana and Miami averaged 30.1 million viewers on ESPN, marking the highest viewership for the game in 11 years.
Indiana’s win generated a 36 percent increase in viewers compared to last year’s championship game,peaking at 33.2 million. This makes it the most-watched national title game as Ohio State defeated Oregon in the inaugural CFP season of 2014/15.
The hoosiers’ victory also ranks as the fourth-most watched college football game in the last 30 years. It was the most-watched non-National Football League (NFL) sports broadcast in the US since Game Seven of the 2016 World Series.
This viewership spike followed a semi-final stage that saw the lowest figures as 2014.the CFP averaged 16.3 million viewers across 11 games, a four percent year-over-year increase.
Looking ahead, ESPN will begin a new six-year broadcast deal with the CFP next year, paying US$1.3 billion annually for the tournament. Discussions are ongoing about potentially expanding the CFP beyond 12 teams in the 2026/27 season.
NFL Divisional Round Draws Record Numbers
The NFL playoffs continue to deliver strong viewership, with the four-game Divisional Round averaging 39.2 million viewers across ESPN, CBS, NBC, and fox - a five percent increase from the previous year.
NBC led the way with the most-watched game of the round, averaging 45.4 million viewers.