Ohio State’s 34-23 win over Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff national championship game on Monday night was the most-watched game of the season. However, it saw a significant drop in viewers compared to the previous year.
ESPN reported on Wednesday that the Buckeyes’ second national championship in the CFP era averaged 22.1 million viewers. While it was the most-watched non-NFL sporting event of the past year, it marked a 12% decline from the 25 million viewers who watched Michigan’s 34-13 victory over Washington in 2024.
This year’s game ranked as the third-lowest in audience size across the 11 CFP title games, with the last three title games all experiencing lower viewership. The peak audience reached 26.1 million viewers during the second quarter (8:30-8:45 p.m. EST), when the game was tied at 7-7.
Since Alabama’s 26-23 overtime win over Georgia in 2018, the last seven title games have featured an average victory margin of 25.4 points. Ohio State led 31-7 midway through the third quarter before Notre Dame made a strong comeback, cutting the deficit to one possession with five minutes left in the game.
Previous Title Game Viewership
Georgia’s dominant 65-7 victory over TCU in 2023 holds the record for the least-viewed title game with 17.2 million viewers, followed by Alabama’s 52-24 win over Ohio State in 2021, which had 18.7 million viewers. The first title game in 2015, where Ohio State defeated Oregon 42-20, remains the most-watched college football game in the CFP era, with 33.9 million viewers, according to Nielsen.
This was the first year of the 12-team CFP format. The first round averaged 10.6 million viewers, while the quarterfinals saw 16.9 million. The semifinals averaged 19.2 million viewers, reflecting a 17% decline from the previous year. Despite this, Michigan’s overtime win over Alabama in the Rose Bowl outpaced the title game with 27.7 million viewers.
The CFP games dominated viewership, with nine of the top 10 most-watched sporting events of the season being CFP-related. Georgia’s overtime victory over Texas in the SEC Championship, aired on ABC/ESPN, ranked sixth with 16.6 million viewers.
