Although the 45-40 loss Clemson suffered to Alabama in the College Football Playoff National Championship wasn’t the result Tigers fans, as well as ACC fans in general, were hoping for, the game was a victory for ESPN, which has been under some stress lately as more and more cable television subscribers are pulling the plug.
According to an ESPN release, 25,667,000 viewers tuned in to the national championship showdown between the Tigers and Crimson Tide, good for a 14.7 rating. This marks the most-watched program on cable television in America since last year’s CFP National Championship between Ohio State and Oregon.
ESPN claims the audience for this year’s CFP National Championship to be the sixth-best in cable history, regardless of the programming. The network, which prides itself on being known as the “Worldwide Leader in Sports,” now boasts having hosted the eight most-watched programs in the history of cable, including six national championship games, and 17 of the top 20 shows.
Clemson’s pair of games in this year’s College Football Playoff helped establish new benchmarks as well for ESPN’s WatchESPN streaming service. Get access to the rest of this article and unlimited access to the rest of ACCSports.com when you upgrade to Premium Access! Click on the button below to view all the benefits of becoming a Premium Access member.Get the rest of the story right now with Premium Access!
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