It was an all-SEC affair, but College Football National Championship ratings neared an eight-year high in the metered markets nonetheless.
Monday’s Alabama-Georgia College Football Playoff National Championship had a 16.7 overnight rating across the ESPN family of networks, up 9% from last year (15.3) and up 4% from 2016 (16.0), both of which pit Alabama against Clemson. ESPN alone posted a 16.0.
Compared to the previous all-SEC national championship, Alabama-LSU in 2012, overnights jumped 21% from a 13.8.
The 16.7 overnight is the highest for the national championship since the first year of the playoff, Ohio State-Oregon in 2015 (18.9), and the second-highest since the game moved to ESPN in 2011.
All-time, Alabama-Georgia is tied for ninth among national championship games since the formation of the Bowl Championship Series.
The Tide’s overtime win peaked early, hitting an 18.4 from 9:45-10 PM ET as Georgia opened a 13-0 lead. During the overtime period from 12-12:15 AM, it had a 17.1.
Birmingham, Ala., led all markets with a 57.6 rating — up 8% from last year (53.6) but down 3% from 2016 (59.2). Atlanta, both a home and host market, soared 70% to a 47.8. Georgia football may not be perceived as a big market team, but such significant growth in a top ten TV market undoubtedly contributed to the high overnight.
Greenville, S.C., was the top neutral market with a 31.9, down only 9% from last year, when Clemson was in the game (35.1). Jacksonville (29.0, +25%) and Nashville (28.3, +6%) rounded out the top five.
The top market outside of the South was Columbus, Ohio, which ranked ninth with a 23.2. The Buckeyes were passed up for the playoff in favor of Alabama.
[Mon. numbers from ESPN]
