The Debut of the College Football Playoff shattered multiple records for viewers on ESPN Monday night.
A record 33.3 million viewers tuned in to ESPN Monday to watch the the college football championship game where Ohio State beat the Oregon Ducks. This is the start to ESPN’s 12- year $7.3 billion deal to air the College Football Playoffs and Championships. Monday’s victory for Ohio State marked a huge jump from 2014’s championship game — the last of the BCS era. Viewership for this year’s game increased 31 percent over the 25.6 million that tuned in to last year’s Auburn-Florida State championship game.
“The inaugural College Football Playoff was a resounding success by all measures,” said ESPN president John Skipper. “Fans responded in record numbers across television and digital platforms. It’s been a great first year and we look forward to the opportunity to build upon the excitement as we continue our long-term commitment to this tremendous event.”
According to The Hollywood Reporter, 2014 marked ESPN’s first year atop all other cable channels, besting every other network in primetime viewership.