The second College Football Playoff National Championship under the expanded 12-team style took a bit of a scores struck, as Ohio State’s triumph over Notre Dame averaged 22. 1 million people, fine for a 12 % reduction compared to the year-ago level. Sales peaked from 8:30 p. m. to 8:45 p. m. ET, when 26. 1 million followers were tuned in. All told, this year’s activity ranks as school football’s third least-watched name bend of the last 10 years. Next year’s final activity, in which Michigan overpowered Washington by a 34-13 ratio, averaged 25. 1 million people across the ESPN community of sites. In nailing down their first majority national title since 1948, the Wolverines laid claim to the 34th most-watched wearing function of 2024. This year’s match is likely to end somewhere in the lower 50s. The Buckeyes ’ 42-20 blow of the Oregon Birds in 2015 was the most-watched name bend of the CFP period, which actually got underway that same year. The annual activity also stands as the biggest pull of the post-Bowl Championship Series era, scoring 33. 9 million listeners. But what a change a generation makes; on the day the Buckeyes plucked the Swans, 100 million homes subscribed to a cable/satellite/telco-TV services, as the pack was taken up by 86 % of all U. S. Television properties. As of last drop, the count of bundled channels was down to 48. 2 million homes, which works out to just 40 % penetration. Including vMVPD/“skinny package ” channels, pay-TV’s overall approach is now at 68. 5 million homes, with penetration hovering at 54 %. College football is n’t alone in having to deal with the inland results of the terrible pay-TV world. Through next weekend ’s Divisional Round, sales for the NFL playoffs are over 8 % from the year-ago time, which works out to an average reduction of 2. 7 million people per glass. ( Cable’s shrinkage is doing a number on over-the-air TV as well; at last count, fewer than 19 million properties accessed their spread feeds via an antenna, which works out to only 15 % of all U. S. Screen homes. )After closing out the normal time with a 2 % scores fall, the NFL has faced historically difficult discounts in the playoffs. The hardest range to meet so much was past year’s Chiefs-Bills slugfest on CBS, which set a Divisional Round report with an average supply of 50. 4 million people. While still powerful with an estimated pick of 44. 2 million people, the TV participation for Sunday night’s Ravens-Bills snowbrawl was over 12 % compared to that year-ago higher. While Ohio State is a persistent scores draw, perhaps the rich boys from the Big Ten can’t do much to stop fans from churning away when a shellacking is in the works. During the Buckeyes ’ most recent appearance in the championship game ( 2021 ), ESPN’s average deliveries fell to a record low 18. 7 million viewers—down 32 % from the year-ago 27. 3 million —as Alabama cruised to a 52-24 success. On the other hand, nothing ever scrambles for the distant when an instant vintage is underway. Per Nielsen, the 2006 Rose Bowl fight between No. 2 Texas and No. 1 USC remains the most-watched college football game on history, as ABC’s spread of that 41-38 nailbiter averaged 35. 6 million listeners. Texas ’ since-vacated win even coincided with Keith Jackson’s last visit from the hall.