Georgia-Alabama national title game receives second-lowest ratings of CFP era

DerekJohnson

Georgia’s national title victory over Alabama averaged 22.6 million viewers across three ESPN platforms the network announced, the second-lowest number since the beginning of the College Football Playoff era dating back to the 2014 season. The viewership was up from a record low of 18.7 million viewers for the Alabama-Ohio State game at the end of the 2021 season affected by the pandemic.

The game was, however, the most-watched event on cable since LSU's win over Clemson at the end of the 2019 season and the most-viewed non-NFL sporting event on any network in the last two years.

Ohio State’s win over Oregon to cap the 2014 season is by far the highest-rated title game of the Playoff era, with 34.6 million viewers. That is followed by Alabama over Clemson in 2015 (26.7 million), Clemson over Alabama in 2016 (26.0 million), Alabama over Georgia in 2017 (28.4 million), Clemson over Alabama in 2018 (25.3 million) and LSU over Clemson in 2019 (26.9 million).

CFetters_Nacho_Lover

Thanks Taft!

TXDawg

People missed a great game. That said, it's obvious the CFP isn't working for anyone but the conferences. Despite that, it sounds like the commissioners aren't even close to an agreement on what to do about it. The reality of CFB is that it's owned now by the networks. All of the decision-making is made by what makes the most money, not by what promotes or preserves the game and culture of college football. If the networks will pay big money for an expanded CFP, then that's what we'll get.

All of this is just window dressing, covering up the symptoms of a sport addicted to the dollar and in general decline.

BleachedAnusDawg

Looks like I was right.

rodmansrage

The complete, three-game College Football Playoff averaged 18.9 million viewers — down 1% from last year (19.1M) and down 13% from two years ago (21.65M).

espn paid $3bn for SEC tv rights, better hope those ratings go up.

kickinthenutshuskies

God I'm sick of fucking Bama - I enjoyed seeing them go down. Troll Tide.

RaceBannon

Beat the Rose Bowl by 6 million viewers

So everyone loses

SEC championship was at 15 million just behind the Rose

MikeDamone

It only has low ratings because the huskies are aren't any good. That's what I'm hearing. Not that college football is dying. It's definitely not that.

haie

There's still games on after the 🌹?

biak1

Reckoning time is a coming tbh

greenblood

I think people are sick of seeing Bama is my guess. Say next year it’s Ohio State and Texas A&M, ratings will tick up again.