Over 21 million people watched Ohio State blow out Oregon in the Rose Bowl.
ESPN announced Friday that the rematch between the Buckeyes and the Ducks drew an average of 21.1 million viewers, making it the most-watched non-NFL sporting event since the 2024 College Football Playoff national championship.
The #CFBPlayoff Quarterfinals scored strong viewership on ESPN platforms, including:
— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) January 3, 2025
@CollegeGameDay's most-watched #NewYearsDay episode ever
@PatMcAfeeShow Field Pass is the most-watched AltCast ever on any sport
@CFAPeachBowl is the most-watched pre-3p bowl game ever pic.twitter.com/bUmFr2s8gc
It’s the first Ohio State game to surpass 21 million viewers since the Buckeyes’ College Football Playoff semifinal loss to Georgia in the 2022 Peach Bowl, which drew 22.45 million.
According to Stewart Mandel and Scott Dochterman of The Athletic, Ohio State's 6.8 million average television viewers per game in the regular season ranked second in college football behind Georgia (8.6 million). The Buckeyes played in several of the most-watched regular-season games overall, including its matchups with Michigan (12.3 million), Oregon (10.2 million), Penn State (9.94 million) and Indiana (9.33 million).
Ohio State's monster viewership has continued into the College Football Playoffs. In addition to the 21.1 million people who watched the Rose Bowl, 14.3 million tuned in to see the Buckeyes demolish Tennessee, 42-17, on Dec. 21. The program is bound to draw another eye-popping number when it faces Texas in the Cotton Bowl on Jan. 10, with that CFP semifinal set to kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.
