Ohio State-Oregon Sets Cable TV Viewership Record; Best For Title Game Since '06

ESPN finished with 33.4 million viewers for the Ohio State-Oregon CFP National Championship, marking the largest audience in cable TV history and second-best title game audience since the BCS era started in ’99.  Ohio State-Oregon ranks behind only the ’06 Texas-USC Rose Bowl title game, which drew 35.6 million viewers on ABC. The CFP title game also is up 31% from 25.6 million viewers for Florida State-Auburn in the BCS National Championship last year. The three CFP games also now mark the most-viewed programs in cable TV history. Ohio State-Oregon topped the audience for three of the four NFL Wild Card games this year, but topped only one of the Divisional round games. Including the CFP Megacast, which includes the game on ESPN and alternate views on ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN Deportes and ESPNews, the game averaged 34.1 million viewers. The game also ranks as the best college football broadcast ever on WatchESPN based on unique viewers and the best non-World Cup event ever on the platform (Austin Karp, Assistant Managing Editor). ESPN's Keith Olbermann said, "The ratings were gargantuan for our 12 different versions of the telecast, everything from our video married to both local radio broadcasts to the Aaron Boone house party version” (“Olbermann,” ESPN2, 1/13).

NUMBERS GAME: AD AGE's Jeanine Poggi noted the CFP title game "generated significant conversation on social media, with 4.4 million related tweets." That number is "more than double activity" around Sunday night's Golden Globe Awards on NBC (ADAGE.com, 1/13). ADWEEK's Christopher Heine reported advertisers "were charged up to" $1M per 30-second spot on ESPN during the game. That rate likely will "go up considerably" for next year's title game (ADWEEK.com, 1/13).

BEHIND THE CURTAIN: USA TODAY's Laken Litman was "granted unique access to go behind the scenes" with ESPN's Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit prior to calling the CFP title game. About one hour prior to kickoff, Fowler was "hanging out, giving his extensive handwritten notecard -- which is more like a small poster board with factoids and depth charts for both teams highlighted in yellow -- a review." During the game, ESPN's broadcast booth is "a passionate place when Fowler and Herbstreit are in it." Voices "get loud and excited when there’s a big play, which is typical." But to see them work together "is like watching two best buddies have a heated discussion at a bar." There was "lots of smiling and constant hand motions and upper body movement." It was "almost as if they’re actors doing voice overs for an animated movie." There is "so much emotion that goes into what they’re saying that it comes across perfectly to the audience" (USATODAY.com, 1/14).