The Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic finished as the most-watched iteration of the game on record, averaging 20.6 million viewers on ESPN platforms this past Friday night, according to data from Nielsen Media Research. The prime-time matchup between the Ohio State Buckeyes and Texas Longhorns finished as the best Friday telecast on all networks, all genres and sports properties in more than four years.
Average viewership of the Cotton Bowl was up 112% year-over-year after the game had averaged 9.7 million viewers the year prior. Furthermore, average viewership of the game was up 9.6% from the second semifinal game last year, which was Washington facing Texas at the Sugar Bowl. Nielsen metrics measured viewership for the game, which was a 28-17 victory for the Buckeyes, at 22.7 million viewers.
The main telecast of the semifinal matchup on ESPN featured play-by-play announcer Sean McDonough, color commentator Greg McElroy and sideline reporters Molly McGrath and Katie George. ESPN platforms also presented alternate presentations on other networks, including Field Pass with The Pat McAfee Show on ESPN2 averaging 819,000 viewers with a 0.44 rating, according to Jon Lewis of Sports Media Watch. Moreover, the Command Center feed on ESPNU averaged 218,000 viewers and a 0.11 rating. The main ESPN telecast averaged a 9.5 rating with an average of 19.6 million viewers on the network, indicative of the ninth-largest audience for a semifinal game.
On the preceding night, the Capital One Orange Bowl between Notre Dame and Penn State averaged 17.8 million viewers, marking the second most-watched iteration of the contest since 2006. The game achieved the top Thursday audience for a non-NFL sporting event since the 2019 NBA Finals and peaked at 19.9 million viewers.
The main telecast of the game on ESPN, which featured play-by-play announcer Chris Fowler, analyst Kirk Herbstreit and reporters Holly Rowe and Laura Rutledge, attained an 8.9 rating and 17.8 million viewers. McAfee’s Field Pass broadcast averaged 733,000 viewers with a 0.39 rating, while the ESPNU Command Center feed averaged 144,000 viewers and a 0.07 rating.
Compared to previous years, the game marked an increase from the Orange Bowl game last year, which averaged 10.3 million viewers on ESPN. The last time an Orange Bowl game hosted a playoff semifinal in 2021, the game averaged 17.19 million viewers and an 8.1 rating. The Notre Dame-Penn State matchup in the Capital One Orange Bowl last week ranked 16th out of the 21 semifinal games to have taken place in the College Football Playoff to that point.
ESPN agreed to a new six-year media rights deal with the College Football Playoff worth $7.8 billion that includes the National Championship Game being televised on ABC beginning in the 2026 season. The company will broadcast the National Championship Game between Ohio State and Notre Dame from Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Ga. on Monday, Jan. 20 at 7:30 p.m. EST on ESPN platforms, including 4K video resolution capabilities for the first time.
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