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Ohio State vs Oregon National Championship game posts record cable ratings for ESPN

By Ethan Finkelstein

Nov 14, 2015; Waco, TX, USA; A general view of the College Football Playoff National Championship Trophy during the game between the Baylor Bears and the Oklahoma Sooners at McLane Stadium. Oklahoma won 44-34. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 14, 2015; Waco, TX, USA; A general view of the College Football Playoff National Championship Trophy during the game between the Baylor Bears and the Oklahoma Sooners at McLane Stadium. Oklahoma won 44-34. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports /
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ESPN says the network posted record television ratings during last night’s College Football Playoff National Championship game.

The 2014 NCAA football season is over, and with it, the first ever College Football Playoff. The National Championship game concluded with the Ohio State Buckeyes trouncing the Oregon Ducks 42-20, in a game that was not as ugly as it could have been. For all the hype and fanfare leading up to this game, it was understandable that a huge ratings figure would result from telecast. ESPN, the home of this first annual CFP National Championship game, was probably not taken aback by the result.

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According to Nielsen, the telecast generated an 18.5 overnight rating; the largest ever for any ESPN broadcast in the network’s storied history, as well as the highest in cable television history. At its peak, between 9:30-9:45 PM ET, viewership increased to a 20.5 rating. The boost in viewership figures virtually crushes the next closest title game posting by the network back in 2011 (16.1 overnight rating), with the National Championship contested between Auburn and Oregon. The former won that game 22-19. Last year’s title game, which saw Florida State win a nail biter against the aforementioned Auburn, posted a 15.3 rating.

The broadcast performed exceptionally well in the home markets of both schools, with Columbus, Ohio posting an unreal 51.2 rating, and Portland, Oregon going for 37.6 in their own right. According to ESPN, the following is a list of the top 10 cities in order of television ratings for the broadcast.

“Columbus, Dayton (43.8), Cleveland (41.3), Portland, Birmingham (36.1), Cincinnati (26.5), Jacksonville (25.7), Knoxville (25.5), Greenville (24.1) and Atlanta (23.0).”

There were other ways to watch the game, aside from the original flagship ESPN. The network provided a “megacast,” as they did in January of 2014, featuring 12 different options for viewing. In total, the ESPN family of networks posted a collective 18.9 market share, which was also an increase from last year’s figure of 15.7.

While these figures are impressive, it is important to note that the final numbers will be posted later this afternoon. Still, the first ever College Football Playoff was an enormous success, as the semifinal match-ups (the Sugar Bowl and Rose Bowl) posted record cable numbers of their own before this game. The Alabama vs. Ohio State game alone peaked at an approximate 28.3 million viewers on New Year’s day.

(H/T ESPN)

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