• Loading stock data...
Wednesday, April 2, 2025
Nominations Are Open for Front Office Sports Honors! Submit Now

CFP Title Game Draws 22 Million Viewers, Down 12% From Last Year

The first national championship game in the expanded College Football Playoff era between Ohio State and Notre Dame drew 22.1 million viewers.

USA Today-Imagn Images

The College Football Playoff championship game was hit with a notable viewership dip in Year 1 of the expanded 12-team Playoff format.

Ohio State’s win over Notre Dame averaged 22.1 million viewers Monday on ESPN networks, down 12% from last year’s game between Michigan and Washington that drew 25.1 million. That number is up 28.5% compared to the 17.2 million who tuned in to TCU and Georgia’s title game in 2023.

Due to the expanded Playoff format, the title game was played after the second week of January for the first time in the CFP era. The latest date the championship game was played in the CFP era was Jan. 13 during the 2019–2020 season. 

This year’s game also fell on Martin Luther King Jr. Day and the inauguration of President Donald Trump. Next year’s game is scheduled for Jan. 19—also a Monday and MLK Day.

It likely also didn’t help nationwide viewership that the two teams in the title game are from the same region. Notre Dame’s campus in South Bend, Ind., is less than 300 miles away from Ohio State’s campus in Columbus, Ohio.

The viewership decline in the title game is in line with the trend from the semifinals. The two games averaged 19.2 million viewers, a 17% decline from the 23.2 million last year. However, last season’s games were played on New Year’s Day, a holiday commonly associated with college football.

The first CFP quarterfinal games were scheduled on Dec. 31 and Jan. 1—though the tragic attack in New Orleans pushed the Sugar Bowl to Jan. 2—and those four games delivered 16.9 million viewers during the holiday season. That average is comparable to the low end of the semifinals viewership in the CFP era.

However, the numbers do not mean the first year of the expanded format was a failure. The format was meant to increase the volume of high-profile games, and it delivered in that respect. Even the first round of the CFP averaged 10.6 million viewers, which is higher than all but four regular-season games.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

NWSL

NWSL Could Make Tens of Millions Selling New TV Games

Almost 200 games are up for grabs over the next two years.

From NFL Draft Rights to Open Jobs: 7 Burning NFL Media Questions

Fox has a few significant openings—and some key free agents.
Los Angeles Golf Club owners Alexis Ohanian and Serena Williams cheer for their team against the New York Golf Club during the TGL semifinal match at SoFi Center on March 17, 2025, in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.
exclusive

Serena Williams, Alexis Ohanian Bid on NFL Flag Football

Williams and Ohanian are the first known bidders for the flag football leagues.

Goodell, Owners Signal 18-Game NFL Season Is Coming—Eventually

The idea of a longer schedule ties into several other league initiatives.

Featured Today

Mar 26, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) in the first half Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

The Creator Behind the LeBron ‘Glazing’ Trend Sweeping TikTok

FOS spoke to TikTok user OkaySpade who made the original song.
Mar 22, 2025; Providence, RI, USA; McNeese State Cowboys manager Amir Khan before a second round men’s NCAA Tournament game against the Purdue Boilermakers at Amica Mutual Pavilion
April 1, 2025

Inside the 24-Hour NIL March Madness Deals

Some of the most viral partnerships come together overnight.
Seattle Kraken
April 1, 2025

Samantha Holloway Is Seattle’s NHL Present—and Hopeful NBA Future

Samantha Holloway is steering the Kraken and hoping to revive pro hoops.
Brehanna Daniels
March 31, 2025

NASCAR Pit Crew Member Brehanna Daniels Didn’t Know She’d Be a Trailblazer

The first Black female tire changer didn’t know she’d be a trailblazer.
April 1, 2025

Women’s Elite Eight Ratings Down 53%, Still Top Pre–Caitlin Clark Years

UConn wasn’t in the most-watched game for the first time.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish guard Olivia Miles (5) celebrates a three-pointer as TCU Horned Frogs face off with Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the Sweet 16 at Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Ala., on Saturday, March 29, 2025.
April 1, 2025

Olivia Miles Delays WNBA Dreams: Why She Chose the Transfer Portal

Miles was the projected No. 2 overall pick.
Sponsored

How UBS Crafts Impactful Partnerships Across Sports, Arts, and Culture

As UBS continues to expand its impressive array of sports and entertainment partnerships, the company solidifies its position as a leader in wealth management.
Paige Bueckers
March 31, 2025

Paige Bueckers Extends College Career Another Week

Bueckers advancing is a win for UConn, the Big East, and ESPN.
Olivia Miles
March 31, 2025

Top WNBA Draft Prospect Opts For Transfer Portal Instead

Olivia Miles had been projected as a top-2 pick.
Texas Longhorns guard Rori Harmon (3) guards William & Mary guard Bella Nascimento (5) during the first round NCAA playoff game at the Moody Center on Saturday, March 22, 2025.
March 31, 2025

William & Mary Nets Financial ‘Units’ for School After First Tournament Win

The school is the second-oldest university in the country.
Trae Young
March 31, 2025

Trae Young Is Latest NBA Star to Take On 7-Figure College Job

Young is the latest NBA star to join the college arms race.