The College Football Playoff National Championship game, where Ohio State triumphed over Notre Dame with a score of 34-23, attracted significant attention as the most-watched non-NFL sporting event of the year. However, it also marked a notable decline in viewership compared to previous years. According to ESPN, the game averaged 22.1 million viewers, representing a 12% drop from the 25 million who watched Michigan defeat Washington in 2024. This trend continues a pattern seen in recent championship games, with three of the lowest-viewed CFP title matches occurring within the last five years.

The audience for this year's championship peaked during the second quarter when the score was tied at 7, drawing 26.1 million viewers. The match saw Ohio State leading by 24 points midway through the third quarter before Notre Dame made a spirited comeback, narrowing the gap to just one possession in the final minutes of the game. Despite the dramatic finish, the overall viewership numbers were lower than expected.

Since Alabama's overtime victory over Georgia in 2018, the past seven title games have had an average margin of victory of 25.4 points. This year's game, while competitive in its closing moments, followed a similar trend. In comparison, the least-watched title game was Georgia's 65-7 rout of TCU in 2023, which drew only 17.2 million viewers. Ohio State's 2015 win over Oregon remains the highest-rated college football game in the CFP era, with 33.9 million viewers.

This year also marked the first time the playoff expanded to 12 teams. The first round averaged 10.6 million viewers, while the quarterfinals saw an increase to 16.9 million. The semifinals, however, experienced a 17% decline from the previous year, averaging 19.2 million viewers. Interestingly, Michigan's overtime victory over Alabama in the Rose Bowl on January 1, 2024, drew a larger audience of 27.7 million viewers than their subsequent win in the championship game.

Nine out of the ten most-watched games this season were CFP matches, with Georgia's overtime win over Texas in the SEC championship ranking sixth with 16.6 million viewers. Despite the overall decline in ratings, the championship game still managed to capture the interest of millions, highlighting the enduring appeal of college football's premier event.