2025 CFP First Round Viewership Shows the Gap and the Growth

College Football Playoff First Round Delivers Record Numbers and Clear Viewing Trends

Yesterday, ESPN PR released the viewership numbers from the first round of the College Football Playoff, and the results tell an interesting story.

Across the four matchups, the average viewership came in at 9.9 million. The Alabama and Oklahoma game led the way, drawing 14.9 million viewers on average and peaking at 16.4 million. That performance officially made it the most watched College Football Playoff first round game on record.

Miami versus Texas A&M was right behind it. That matchup averaged 14.8 million viewers and peaked at an impressive 19.3 million, making it the second most watched CFP first round game ever.

Those two games clearly carried the round from a national interest standpoint.

The G5 Debate and the Ratings Reality

There has been no shortage of debate around Group of Five teams making the playoff. If you strictly look at it from a money perspective, some will argue whether it is worth it at all.

What you cannot argue is that there is now a rightful path for those teams to make the playoff. That part matters, and unless the powers that be decide to change the qualifications again, the debate is mostly noise. The structure is set, and the teams that earn it deserve to be there.

The Drop Off in the Other Matchups

Ole Miss versus Tulane averaged 6.2 million viewers and peaked at 8.3 million. James Madison versus Oregon averaged 4.4 million and peaked at 7.2 million.

Those numbers represent a significant drop off from the top two games. A big reason for that is likely the blowout nature of both matchups. Not many viewers are going to stick around once a game gets out of hand, unless you are someone who just loves football regardless of the score.

There is also the television access factor. In today’s media landscape, not everyone has TNT or Max. Most probably have one or the other, but it is still a point that continues to come up and one worth acknowledging.

NFL Competition Still Looms Large

Another major factor is the continued overlap with NFL games. That has been the case this year and last year during the first round.

The Eagles and Commanders pulled in 15.4 million viewers during the 4:30 PM Eastern slot. Later in the night, Packers versus Bears drew 21.3 million viewers at the 8:20 PM Eastern kickoff.

Even with that level of NFL competition, Alabama versus Oklahoma still finished as the most watched CFP first round game to date. That says a lot about the draw of the brands involved and the overall appetite for high stakes college football.

How This Compares to Last Year

Looking back at last year’s first round provides additional context.

SMU versus Penn State averaged 6.4 million viewers on TNT, while Texans versus Chiefs on NBC averaged 15.5 million during the same window. Clemson versus Texas drew 8.6 million viewers on TNT, compared to 15.4 million for Steelers versus Ravens on Fox.

The other two college games aired on ESPN and ABC. Indiana versus Notre Dame averaged 13.4 million viewers on Friday night, while Tennessee versus Ohio State drew 14.3 million on Saturday night.

The numbers reinforce what we already know. Brand power matters. Competitive games matter. Timing matters, and even in a crowded sports landscape dominated by the NFL, the College Football Playoff continues to deliver massive audiences when the matchups hit right.

Viewership Numbers Source: ESPN PR and Associated Press

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