Last weekend’s first round of the College Football Playoff drew an average of 9.9 million viewers across ABC, ESPN, TNT, TBS and truTV, according to ESPN and Nielsen. That marks a 7 % decline from the previous season.
Viewership Overview
The 9.9 million average encompasses all games broadcast on the five networks. The drop is the largest since the playoff expanded to a 12-team field. Viewers tuned in for both the high-profile matchups and the lower-profile contests.
Broadcast Network Shift
A key factor in the decline was the placement of the final game-James Madison versus Oregon-on TNT, TBS and truTV instead of ABC and ESPN. The shift coincided with an NFL game in prime time, which siphoned a portion of the potential audience.
Game-by-Game Numbers
The Chicago Bears’ 22-16 overtime win over the Green Bay Packers on Fox averaged 21.3 million viewers, the highest for the weekend. Oregon’s 51-34 victory over James Madison drew 4.4 million. In contrast, the last year’s Ohio State-Tennessee contest on ABC/ESPN averaged 14.3 million and did not face an NFL prime-time opponent.
Most-Watched CFP Game
Alabama’s 34-24 comeback over Oklahoma was the most-watched CFP first-round game, averaging 14.9 million on ABC/ESPN. It remains the highest-viewed first-round game in the two-year history of the expanded 12-team format and ranks as the fifth-most watched game of the entire season. Six of the top 20 most-viewed games this year involve Alabama.
Last Year’s Opener
The 2019 opener between Notre Dame and Indiana averaged 13.4 million viewers, showing that the current season’s numbers are below last year’s benchmark.
Miami’s Surge
Miami’s 10-7 win over Texas A&M averaged 14.8 million on ABC/ESPN on Saturday afternoon. The game more than doubled the 6.4 million audience that tuned in for the SMU-Penn State matchup on TNT/TBS and truTV in the same time slot. The Hurricanes’ victory was the sixth-most watched game of the season.
Mid-Weekend Competition
Ole Miss’ 41-10 rout of Tulane averaged 6.2 million on TNT/TBS and truTV, down from the 8.6 million average of last year’s Texas-Clemson game in the same slot and networks. The Saturday middle CFP game has faced NFL competition for the past two years; Philadelphia’s 29-18 win over Washington on Fox averaged 15.5 million, matching last year’s Pittsburgh-Baltimore audience.
Future Broadcast Plans
ESPN sublicenses CFP games to TNT/TBS and truTV. In addition to two first-round games next year, the Warner Bros. Discovery channels will air two quarterfinals and a semifinal game. Last year’s four quarterfinal matchups averaged 16.9 million on ESPN and ESPN2.
Key Takeaways
- First-round average fell to 9.9 million, a 7 % drop from last season.
- Network placement and NFL overlap contributed to lower viewership.
- Alabama’s win remains the most-watched first-round game in the expanded format.
The data underscore how broadcast decisions and competing sports events shape the College Football Playoff’s reach. Future scheduling and network partnerships will likely be scrutinized to maintain or grow audience numbers.
