A return to New Year’s Day, and an all-time classic in the Rose Bowl, lifted College Football Playoff ratings to a three-year high in the metered markets.
The College Football Playoff semifinals averaged a 13.9 overnight rating on ESPN and ESPN2 New Year’s Day, up 26% from last year (11.0), up 42% from 2015 (9.9), and the highest mark since the inaugural semifinals in 2015.
The Georgia-Oklahoma Rose Bowl scored a 14.8, up 29% from last year’s Peach Bowl (Alabama-Washington: 11.5) and up 51% from the Orange Bowl two years ago (Clemson-Oklahoma: 9.8). ESPN alone had a 14.2.
Compared to the last semifinal at the Rose Bowl, Oregon-Florida State in 2015, the Bulldogs’ overtime win fell 5% from a 15.5. Last year’s USC-Penn State Rose Bowl, which had no playoff implications, had a 9.4.
Overnights peaked at a 17.3 from 9-9:15 PM ET.
Later in the night, the Alabama-Clemson Sugar Bowl had a 12.5 — up 19% from last year’s Fiesta Bowl (Clemson-Ohio State: 10.5) and up 25% from the Cotton Bowl two years ago (Alabama-Michigan State: 10.0).
Compared to the last Sugar Bowl to serve as a semifinal, Ohio State-Alabama in 2015, overnights fell 18% from a 15.3. Last year’s Oklahoma-Auburn Sugar Bowl had a 6.1.
Of the eight CFP semifinal games all-time, the top four have been played on New Year’s Day.
Birmingham, Ala., led all markets for the Rose Bowl (42.8) and the Sugar Bowl (55.7). As for the other home markets, Georgia-Oklahoma had a 35.9 in Oklahoma City, a 35.6 in Tulsa and a 33.7 in Atlanta. Alabama-Clemson had a 32.7 in Greenville, S.C. and a 19.3 in Charlotte.
Columbus, Ohio — home of the spurned Buckeyes — ranked sixth for both games. Despite protestations from some Buckeye fans that they would not watch the playoffs, the market turned in a massive 28.7 for the Rose Bowl and a 23.3 for the Sugar.
Metered Market College Football Playoff Ratings
