College football TV ratings: most-watched teams and games
Which college football teams draw the biggest TV audiences, and which games were the most watched: 2026 to date, last season and all time. Updated Nov. 1, 2026; 2026 data through Week 8 (games through Oct. 24, 2026).
Team averages · Top regular-season games · Top postseason games · Conference title games · Methodology · Media influence · Watch guide
Every table is tagged Nielsen official or Computed by us, with its source linked.
Most-watched teams: average viewers per game
Regular season
2026 regular season to date: Nielsen top 10 Nielsen official
| # | Team | Avg. viewers |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas | 8,344,000 |
| 2 | Ohio State | 7,460,000 |
| 3 | Oklahoma | 6,274,000 |
| 4 | Indiana | 6,226,000 |
| 5 | Alabama | 6,198,000 |
| 6 | Ole Miss | 5,704,000 |
| 7 | Georgia | 5,620,000 |
| 8 | Michigan | 5,402,000 |
| 9 | Tennessee | 5,149,000 |
| 10 | LSU | 4,995,000 |
2026 season to date, through Week 8 (games through Oct. 24, 2026), as released by Nielsen. Nielsen did not publish game counts. Source: On3; Complex.
2026 regular season to date: our computed top 25 Computed by us
| # | Team | Games | Avg. viewers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas | 6 | 8,108,167 |
| 2 | Oklahoma | 3 | 6,890,333 |
| 3 | Alabama | 8 | 6,541,125 |
| 4 | Ohio State | 7 | 5,702,429 |
| 5 | Georgia | 4 | 5,631,500 |
| 6 | Ole Miss | 6 | 5,545,833 |
| 7 | Tennessee | 5 | 5,142,600 |
| 8 | Kentucky | 3 | 4,973,333 |
| 9 | LSU | 6 | 4,945,833 |
| 10 | Florida | 4 | 4,867,500 |
| 11 | Michigan | 7 | 4,840,143 |
| 12 | Indiana | 7 | 4,509,429 |
| 13 | Notre Dame | 6 | 4,358,500 |
| 14 | Texas A&M | 7 | 3,667,143 |
| 15 | Missouri | 3 | 3,658,000 |
| 16 | BYU | 6 | 3,509,667 |
| 17 | Florida State | 6 | 3,318,667 |
| 18 | Clemson | 4 | 3,296,250 |
| 19 | Auburn | 5 | 3,250,000 |
| 20 | Wisconsin | 4 | 2,975,250 |
| 21 | Washington | 5 | 2,705,200 |
| 22 | Oregon | 6 | 2,651,833 |
| 23 | Miami (FL) | 5 | 2,610,000 |
| 24 | North Carolina | 4 | 2,585,750 |
| 25 | Penn State | 5 | 2,548,000 |
2026 season to date, through Week 8 (games through Oct. 24, 2026); teams with at least 3 rated games. Computed by us: the average of each team's games with a published national Nielsen number in RatingsReference's per-game data (CC BY 4.0). Games on networks Nielsen doesn't rate are not counted. Not Nielsen's own team ranking. Source: RatingsReference 2026.
2025 regular season: Nielsen top 20 Nielsen official
| # | Team | Avg. viewers |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alabama | 8,493,000 |
| 2 | Texas | 7,546,000 |
| 3 | Georgia | 7,476,000 |
| 4 | Ohio State | 6,567,000 |
| 5 | Oklahoma | 6,468,000 |
| 6 | LSU | 6,415,000 |
| 7 | Tennessee | 6,205,000 |
| 8 | Auburn | 5,255,000 |
| 9 | Michigan | 5,077,000 |
| 10 | Texas A&M | 4,987,000 |
| 11 | Florida | 4,678,000 |
| 12 | Ole Miss | 4,481,000 |
| 13 | South Carolina | 4,154,000 |
| 14 | Florida State | 4,068,000 |
| 15 | Notre Dame | 3,925,000 |
| 16 | Vanderbilt | 3,593,000 |
| 17 | Missouri | 3,506,000 |
| 18 | Penn State | 3,433,000 |
| 19 | Miami (FL) | 3,425,000 |
| 20 | Oregon | 3,290,000 |
Full 2025 regular season, conference title games excluded, as released by Nielsen (Dec. 5, 2025). Nielsen did not publish game counts. Sources: On3; On3; KETK.
All-time (2020–2025) regular season: our computed top 25 Computed by us
| # | Team | Games | Avg. viewers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alabama | 55 | 6,633,891 |
| 2 | Georgia | 51 | 6,068,882 |
| 3 | Ohio State | 60 | 5,980,233 |
| 4 | Michigan | 60 | 4,992,200 |
| 5 | Tennessee | 40 | 4,887,025 |
| 6 | Texas | 58 | 4,354,897 |
| 7 | LSU | 49 | 4,350,261 |
| 8 | Texas A&M | 43 | 3,930,367 |
| 9 | Florida | 48 | 3,833,875 |
| 10 | Notre Dame | 60 | 3,759,900 |
| 11 | Penn State | 54 | 3,740,019 |
| 12 | Auburn | 44 | 3,714,909 |
| 13 | Oklahoma | 57 | 3,610,491 |
| 14 | Ole Miss | 39 | 3,481,077 |
| 15 | Florida State | 43 | 3,227,953 |
| 16 | Oregon | 53 | 3,166,453 |
| 17 | Clemson | 44 | 3,154,091 |
| 18 | Colorado | 46 | 2,981,478 |
| 19 | Arkansas | 35 | 2,833,229 |
| 20 | Miami (FL) | 42 | 2,778,500 |
| 21 | South Carolina | 29 | 2,772,241 |
| 22 | Kentucky | 27 | 2,752,926 |
| 23 | USC | 53 | 2,645,038 |
| 24 | Army | 22 | 2,613,591 |
| 25 | Missouri | 28 | 2,580,607 |
Regular seasons 2020 through 2025, conference title weekend excluded; teams with at least 20 rated games. Computed by us: the average of each team's games with a published national Nielsen number in RatingsReference's per-game data (CC BY 4.0). Games on networks Nielsen doesn't rate are not counted. Not Nielsen's own team ranking. Sources: RatingsReference 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025; 2025 figures from our cross-checked 2025 game file. Measurement changes in 2025 lift recent seasons (see methodology).
Postseason (bowls and playoff)
2026–27 postseason: not played yet. This table will start after the bowls and College Football Playoff begin in December 2026.
2025–26 postseason: our computed averages Computed by us
| # | Team | Games | Avg. viewers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Indiana | 3 | 23,986,711 |
| 2 | Miami (FL) | 4 | 19,919,864 |
| 3 | Alabama | 2 | 19,434,648 |
| 4 | Ohio State | 1 | 19,023,720 |
| 5 | Georgia | 1 | 18,663,008 |
| 6 | Texas Tech | 1 | 15,870,357 |
| 7 | Oklahoma | 1 | 14,939,775 |
| 8 | Texas A&M | 1 | 14,778,965 |
| 9 | Ole Miss | 3 | 13,570,909 |
| 10 | Oregon | 3 | 12,731,133 |
| 11 | Michigan | 1 | 9,050,000 |
| 12 | Texas | 1 | 9,050,000 |
| 13 | Georgia Tech | 1 | 8,700,000 |
| 14 | BYU | 1 | 8,700,000 |
| 15 | Penn State | 1 | 7,600,000 |
| 16 | Clemson | 1 | 7,600,000 |
| 17 | Tulane | 1 | 6,238,431 |
| 18 | Virginia | 1 | 6,000,000 |
| 19 | Missouri | 1 | 6,000,000 |
| 20 | Tennessee | 1 | 5,380,000 |
2025–26 bowls and College Football Playoff. Computed by us: the average of each team's games with a published national Nielsen number in RatingsReference's per-game data (CC BY 4.0). Games on networks Nielsen doesn't rate are not counted. Not Nielsen's own team ranking. The national title game uses the CFP's official 30,065,483. Sources: RatingsReference 2025; CFP viewership history.
All-time (2020–21 to 2025–26) postseason: our computed averages Computed by us
| # | Team | Games | Avg. viewers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ohio State | 10 | 18,434,372 |
| 2 | Indiana | 5 | 17,894,026 |
| 3 | Michigan | 6 | 17,718,333 |
| 4 | Alabama | 9 | 17,681,033 |
| 5 | Georgia | 8 | 16,531,626 |
| 6 | TCU | 3 | 14,513,333 |
| 7 | Miami (FL) | 7 | 13,238,494 |
| 8 | Notre Dame | 8 | 13,122,500 |
| 9 | Washington | 4 | 13,005,000 |
| 10 | Texas | 7 | 11,758,571 |
| 11 | Oregon | 8 | 9,904,175 |
| 12 | Penn State | 7 | 9,680,000 |
| 13 | Clemson | 6 | 8,761,667 |
| 14 | Ole Miss | 8 | 8,715,341 |
| 15 | Utah | 4 | 8,232,500 |
| 16 | Tennessee | 5 | 8,208,000 |
| 17 | Arizona State | 3 | 7,746,667 |
| 18 | Cincinnati | 4 | 7,692,500 |
| 19 | Texas A&M | 4 | 7,044,741 |
| 20 | Oklahoma | 6 | 6,264,962 |
Postseasons 2020–21 through 2025–26; teams with at least 3 rated postseason games. Computed by us: the average of each team's games with a published national Nielsen number in RatingsReference's per-game data (CC BY 4.0). Games on networks Nielsen doesn't rate are not counted. Not Nielsen's own team ranking. Sources: RatingsReference 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025; CFP viewership history.
Top 25 most-watched regular-season games
2026 to date Nielsen official
| # | Date | Game | Network | Viewers | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sept. 12, 2026 | Ohio State Buckeyes at Texas Longhorns | ABC | 13.99M | ESPN PR (X) |
| 2 | Oct. 10, 2026 | Georgia Bulldogs at Alabama Crimson Tide | ABC | 12.24M | On3 |
| 3 | Sept. 19, 2026 | LSU Tigers at Ole Miss Rebels | ABC | 10.90M | ESPN PR (X) |
| 4 | Oct. 17, 2026 | Ohio State Buckeyes at Indiana Hoosiers | FOX | 10.38M | ESPN PR (X) |
| 5 | Oct. 10, 2026 | Texas Longhorns at Oklahoma Sooners | ABC | 9.82M | On3 |
| 6 | Sept. 26, 2026 | Texas Longhorns at Tennessee Volunteers | ABC | 9.75M | Sports Media Watch |
| 7 | Oct. 17, 2026 | Notre Dame Fighting Irish at BYU Cougars | ABC | 9.16M | Sports Media Watch |
| 8 | Sept. 26, 2026 | Ole Miss Rebels at Florida Gators | ABC | 8.29M | Sports Media Watch |
| 9 | Sept. 12, 2026 | Oklahoma Sooners at Michigan Wolverines | FOX | 8.22M | ESPN PR (X) |
| 10 | Oct. 17, 2026 | Alabama Crimson Tide at Tennessee Volunteers | ABC | 8.10M | On3 |
| 11 | Oct. 24, 2026 | Ole Miss Rebels at Texas Longhorns | ABC | 8.09M | On3 |
| 12 | Sept. 6, 2026 | Wisconsin Badgers at Notre Dame Fighting Irish | NBC | 7.42M | ESPN PR (X) |
| 13 | Sept. 12, 2026 | Alabama Crimson Tide at Kentucky Wildcats | ABC+Disney+ | 7.30M | ESPN PR (X) |
| 14 | Oct. 24, 2026 | Indiana Hoosiers at Michigan Wolverines | FOX | 7.01M | thefutoncritic.com |
| 15 | Sept. 19, 2026 | Florida State Seminoles at Alabama Crimson Tide | ABC+ESPN2 | 7.00M | ESPN PR (X) |
| 16 | Oct. 10, 2026 | Indiana Hoosiers at Nebraska Cornhuskers | FOX | 6.73M | ESPN PR (X) |
| 17 | Oct. 3, 2026 | Ohio State Buckeyes at Iowa Hawkeyes | CBS | 5.97M | On3 |
| 18 | Oct. 24, 2026 | Texas A&M Aggies at Alabama Crimson Tide | ABC | 5.90M | ESPN PR (X) |
| 19 | Sept. 5, 2026 | Clemson Tigers at LSU Tigers | ABC | 5.75M | ESPN PR (X) |
| 20 | Sept. 26, 2026 | Texas A&M Aggies at LSU Tigers | ABC | 5.70M | ESPN PR (X) |
| 21 | Sept. 19, 2026 | Kentucky Wildcats at Texas A&M Aggies | ESPN | 5.40M | ESPN PR (X) |
| 22 | Sept. 6, 2026 | Washington State Cougars at Washington Huskies | NBC | 5.14M | ESPN PR (X) |
| 23 | Oct. 3, 2026 | Alabama Crimson Tide at Mississippi State Bulldogs | ABC | 5.08M | On3 |
| 24 | Aug. 29, 2026 | North Carolina Tar Heels at TCU Horned Frogs | ESPN+Disney+ | 4.90M | thefutoncritic.com |
| 25 | Sept. 5, 2026 | Boise State Broncos at Oregon Ducks | CBS | 4.83M | ESPN PR (X) |
2026 regular season through Week 8 (games through Oct. 24, 2026). Nielsen viewer figures as reported by the networks and outlets linked in each row.
2025 season Nielsen official
| # | Date | Game | Network | Viewers | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nov. 29, 2025 | Ohio State at Michigan | FOX | 18.40M | FootballScoop |
| 2 | Aug. 30, 2025 | Texas at Ohio State | FOX | 16.60M | FootballScoop |
| 3 | Nov. 28, 2025 | Texas A&M at Texas | ABC | 13.04M | FootballScoop |
| 4 | Sept. 13, 2025 | Georgia at Tennessee | ABC | 12.58M | FootballScoop |
| 5 | Nov. 29, 2025 | Alabama at Auburn (Iron Bowl) | ABC | 11.31M | FootballScoop |
| 6 | Aug. 31, 2025 | Notre Dame at Miami | ABC | 10.80M | FootballScoop |
| 7 | Aug. 30, 2025 | Alabama at Florida State | ABC | 10.66M | FootballScoop |
| 8 | Nov. 15, 2025 | Oklahoma at Alabama | ABC | 10.48M | FootballScoop |
| 9 | Aug. 30, 2025 | LSU at Clemson | ABC | 10.45M | FootballScoop |
| 10 | Nov. 15, 2025 | Texas at Georgia | ABC | 10.43M | FootballScoop |
| 11 | Sept. 27, 2025 | Alabama at Georgia | ABC | 10.42M | FootballScoop |
| 12 | Oct. 18, 2025 | Ole Miss at Georgia | ABC | 9.79M | FootballScoop |
| 13 | Sept. 6, 2025 | Michigan at Oklahoma | ABC | 9.67M | FootballScoop |
| 14 | Oct. 11, 2025 | Oklahoma vs Texas (Red River, Dallas) | ABC | 8.73M | FootballScoop |
| 15 | Nov. 28, 2025 | Georgia at Georgia Tech | ABC | 8.72M | FootballScoop |
| 16 | Sept. 27, 2025 | Oregon at Penn State | NBC (Nielsen + Adobe streaming) | 8.50M | FootballScoop |
| 17 | Oct. 18, 2025 | Tennessee at Alabama | ABC | 8.01M | FootballScoop |
| 18 | Oct. 25, 2025 | Alabama at South Carolina | ABC | 7.84M | FootballScoop |
| 19 | Dec. 13, 2025 | Army vs Navy | CBS | 7.84M | Sports Media Watch |
| 20 | Nov. 1, 2025 | Georgia vs Florida (Jacksonville) | ABC | 7.79M | FootballScoop |
| 21 | Sept. 13, 2025 | Florida at LSU | ABC | 7.64M | FootballScoop |
| 22 | Nov. 8, 2025 | LSU at Alabama | ABC | 7.54M | FootballScoop |
| 23 | Nov. 1, 2025 | Penn State at Ohio State | FOX | 7.19M | FootballScoop |
| 24 | Oct. 11, 2025 | Alabama at Missouri | ABC | 6.99M | FootballScoop |
| 25 | Oct. 25, 2025 | Texas A&M at LSU | ABC | 6.76M | FootballScoop |
2025 regular season, conference title games excluded. Nielsen figures as reported by the outlets linked in each row.
All-time Nielsen official
| # | Date | Game | Network | Viewers | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nov. 13, 1993 | Florida State at Notre Dame approx; "22 million" | NBC | 22.00M | 247Sports |
| 2 | Nov. 18, 2006 | Michigan at Ohio State 247Sports lists 21M; 21.8M per Wikipedia | ABC | 21.80M | 247Sports |
| 3 | Nov. 5, 2011 | LSU at Alabama | CBS | 20.00M | CFBTrack |
| 4 | Nov. 25, 2023 | Ohio State at Michigan | FOX | 19.10M | CFBTrack |
| 5 | Nov. 29, 2025 | Ohio State at Michigan | FOX | 18.40M | CFBTrack |
| 6 | Nov. 26, 2022 | Michigan at Ohio State | FOX | 17.10M | CFBTrack |
| 7 | Nov. 26, 2016 | Michigan at Ohio State | ABC | 16.80M | CFBTrack |
| 8 | Nov. 9, 2019 | LSU at Alabama | CBS | 16.60M | CFBTrack |
| 9 | Aug. 30, 2025 | Texas at Ohio State | FOX | 16.60M | CFBTrack |
| 10 | Nov. 24, 2012 | Notre Dame at USC | ABC | 16.10M | CFBTrack |
| 11 | Nov. 27, 2021 | Ohio State at Michigan | FOX | 15.90M | CFBTrack |
| 12 | Sept. 12, 2026 | Ohio State at Texas 2026 season to date | ABC | 13.99M | ESPN PR (X) |
| 13 | Nov. 30, 2013 | Alabama at Auburn | CBS | 13.80M | CFBTrack |
| 14 | Nov. 25, 2017 | Alabama at Auburn | CBS | 13.70M | CFBTrack |
| 15 | Sept. 14, 2013 | Alabama at Texas A&M | CBS | 13.60M | CFBTrack |
| 16 | Nov. 30, 2014 | Auburn at Alabama | ESPN | 13.50M | CFBTrack |
| 17 | Oct. 19, 2014 | Notre Dame at Florida State | ABC | 13.30M | CFBTrack |
| 18 | Nov. 24, 2018 | Michigan at Ohio State | FOX | 13.30M | CFBTrack |
| 19 | Oct. 19, 2024 | Georgia at Texas | ABC | 13.20M | CFBTrack |
| 20 | Nov. 5, 2022 | Tennessee at Georgia | CBS | 13.10M | CFBTrack |
| 21 | Nov. 28, 2025 | Texas A&M at Texas | ABC | 13.00M | CFBTrack |
| 22 | Sept. 3, 2017 | Florida State at Alabama | ABC | 12.60M | CFBTrack |
| 23 | Sept. 13, 2025 | Georgia at Tennessee | ABC | 12.60M | CFBTrack |
| 24 | Nov. 26, 2010 | Auburn at Alabama | CBS | 12.50M | CFBTrack |
| 25 | Nov. 30, 2019 | Ohio State at Michigan | FOX | 12.40M | CFBTrack |
Most-watched regular-season games on record, 1993 to date. Older figures are rounded in the sources (for example, “22 million”) and pre-2020 numbers exclude out-of-home viewing. CFBTrack sometimes lists a date a day off from the game; we show its date.
Top 25 most-watched postseason games
2026–27 postseason: not played yet.
2025–26 bowls and playoff Nielsen official
| # | Date | Game | Network | Viewers | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jan. 19, 2026 | Miami Hurricanes at Indiana Hoosiers | ESPN | 30.07M | CFP |
| 2 | Jan. 1, 2026 | CFP Quarterfinal: Rose Bowl - Alabama vs Indiana | ESPN | 23.93M | CFP |
| 3 | Dec. 31, 2025 | Miami Hurricanes at Ohio State Buckeyes | ESPN | 19.02M | CFP |
| 4 | Jan. 1, 2026 | CFP Quarterfinal: Sugar Bowl - Georgia vs Ole Miss | ESPN | 18.66M | CFP |
| 5 | Jan. 9, 2026 | Oregon Ducks at Indiana Hoosiers | ESPN | 17.97M | CFP |
| 6 | Jan. 1, 2026 | Oregon Ducks at Texas Tech Red Raiders | ESPN | 15.87M | CFP |
| 7 | Jan. 8, 2026 | Miami Hurricanes at Ole Miss Rebels | ESPN | 15.81M | CFP |
| 8 | Dec. 19, 2025 | Alabama Crimson Tide at Oklahoma Sooners | ABC+ESPN | 14.94M | CFP |
| 9 | Dec. 20, 2025 | CFB Texas A&M–Miami | ESPN | 14.78M | CFP |
| 10 | Dec. 31, 2025 | Michigan Wolverines at Texas Longhorns | ABC | 9.05M | Sports Media Watch |
| 11 | Dec. 27, 2025 | Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at BYU Cougars | ABC | 8.70M | Sports Media Watch |
| 12 | Dec. 27, 2025 | Penn State Nittany Lions at Clemson Tigers | ABC | 7.60M | Wikipedia |
| 13 | Dec. 20, 2025 | CFB Ole Miss–Tulane | TNT | 6.24M | CFP |
| 14 | Dec. 27, 2025 | Virginia Cavaliers at Missouri Tigers | ABC | 6.00M | Sports Media Watch |
| 15 | Dec. 30, 2025 | Tennessee Volunteers at Illinois Fighting Illini | ESPN | 5.38M | Wikipedia |
| 16 | Dec. 30, 2025 | USC Trojans at TCU Horned Frogs | ESPN | 4.92M | Wikipedia |
| 17 | Dec. 31, 2025 | Iowa Hawkeyes at Vanderbilt Commodores | ESPN | 4.60M | Wikipedia |
| 18 | Dec. 26, 2025 | New Mexico Lobos at Minnesota Golden Gophers | ESPN | 4.43M | Wikipedia |
| 19 | Dec. 20, 2025 | CFB James Madison–Oregon | TNT | 4.36M | CFP |
| 20 | Dec. 13, 2025 | Boise State Broncos at Washington Huskies | ABC | 3.79M | Wikipedia |
| 21 | Jan. 2, 2026 | Navy Midshipmen at Cincinnati Bearcats | ESPN | 3.44M | Wikipedia |
| 22 | Dec. 26, 2025 | Florida International Panthers at UTSA Roadrunners | ESPN | 3.13M | Wikipedia |
| 23 | Dec. 31, 2025 | Nebraska Cornhuskers at Utah Utes | ESPN | 3.02M | Wikipedia |
| 24 | Dec. 27, 2025 | LSU Tigers at Houston Cougars | ESPN | 2.92M | Wikipedia |
| 25 | Dec. 24, 2025 | California Golden Bears at Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors | ESPN | 2.70M | Wikipedia |
2025–26 bowl season and College Football Playoff. Nielsen figures as reported by the outlets linked in each row; the title game uses the CFP's official number.
All-time (BCS and CFP era, 1998–99 to 2025–26) Nielsen official
| # | Date | Round | Game | Network | Viewers | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jan. 4, 2006 | BCS (Rose Bowl) title | Texas vs USC | ABC | 35.63M | Sports Media Watch |
| 2 | Jan. 12, 2015 | CFP National Championship | No. 4 Ohio State 42, No. 2 Oregon 20 CFP official | ESPN family | 33.92M | CFP |
| 3 | Jan. 7, 2010 | BCS title | Alabama vs Texas | ABC | 30.78M | Sports Business Journal |
| 4 | Jan. 19, 2026 | CFP National Championship | No. 1 Indiana 27, No. 10 Miami 21 CFP official | ESPN family | 30.07M | CFP |
| 5 | Jan. 3, 2003 | BCS (Fiesta Bowl) title | Ohio State vs Miami | ABC | 29.10M | Sports Media Watch |
| 6 | Jan. 8, 2007 | BCS title | Florida vs Ohio State | FOX | 28.80M | Sports Business Journal |
| 7 | Jan. 8, 2018 | CFP National Championship | No. 4 Alabama 26, No. 3 Georgia 23 (OT) CFP official | ESPN family | 28.77M | CFP |
| 8 | Jan. 1, 2015 | CFP Semifinal | No. 4 Ohio State 42, No. 1 Alabama 35 CFP official | ESPN family | 28.27M | CFP |
| 9 | Jan. 1, 2015 | CFP Semifinal | No. 2 Oregon 59, No. 3 Florida State 20 CFP official | ESPN family | 28.16M | CFP |
| 10 | Jan. 1, 2024 | CFP Semifinal | No. 1 Michigan, 27, No. 4 Alabama 20 (OT) CFP official | ESPN family | 27.68M | CFP |
| 11 | Jan. 10, 2011 | BCS title | Auburn vs Oregon | ESPN | 27.32M | Sports Business Journal |
| 12 | Jan. 3, 2001 | BCS (Orange Bowl) title | Oklahoma vs Florida State | ABC | 27.24M | Sports Media Watch |
| 13 | Jan. 1, 2018 | CFP Semifinal | No. 3 Georgia 54, No. 2 Oklahoma 48 (2OT) CFP official | ESPN family | 27.11M | CFP |
| 14 | Jan. 4, 2000 | BCS (Sugar Bowl) title | Florida State vs Virginia Tech | ABC | 26.96M | Sports Media Watch |
| 15 | Jan. 8, 2009 | BCS title | Florida vs Oklahoma | FOX | 26.77M | Sports Business Journal |
| 16 | Jan. 7, 2013 | BCS title | Alabama vs Notre Dame | ESPN | 26.38M | Sports Business Journal |
| 17 | Jan. 13, 2020 | CFP National Championship | No. 1 LSU 42, No. 3 Clemson 25 CFP official | ESPN family | 26.18M | CFP |
| 18 | Jan. 11, 2016 | CFP National Championship | No. 2 Alabama 45, No. 1 Clemson 40 CFP official | ESPN family | 26.12M | CFP |
| 19 | Jan. 4, 1999 | BCS (Fiesta Bowl) title | Tennessee vs Florida State source row label truncated; matched via 17.2 rating | ABC | 26.11M | Sports Media Watch |
| 20 | Jan. 7, 2019 | CFP National Championship | No. 2 Clemson 44, No. 1 Alabama 16 CFP official | ESPN family | 25.68M | CFP |
| 21 | Jan. 6, 2014 | BCS title | Florida State vs Auburn Wikipedia citing Washington Post / TVbytheNumbers | ESPN | 25.57M | Wikipedia |
| 22 | Jan. 9, 2017 | CFP National Championship | No. 2 Clemson 35, No. 1 Alabama 31 CFP official | ESPN family | 25.30M | CFP |
| 23 | Jan. 8, 2024 | CFP National Championship | No. 1 Michigan 34, No. 2 Washington 13 CFP official | ESPN family | 25.02M | CFP |
| 24 | Jan. 9, 2012 | BCS title | Alabama vs LSU | ESPN | 24.21M | Sports Business Journal |
| 25 | Jan. 4, 2004 | BCS (Sugar Bowl) title | LSU vs Oklahoma | ABC | 23.94M | Sports Media Watch |
Limited to the BCS and CFP eras, where complete viewer figures are published. CFP games list “ESPN family” because the CFP counts ESPN's combined telecasts.
Before the BCS: some earlier bowls drew bigger audiences, but complete, comparable figures aren't published, so they're not ranked above. Reported examples: Jan. 1, 1988, Orange Bowl: Oklahoma vs Miami (NBC): nearly 35 million viewers (NBC Sports); Jan. 1, 1993, Sugar Bowl: Alabama vs Miami (ABC): 30.1 million viewers (Front Office Sports); Jan. 1, 1995, Orange Bowl: Nebraska vs Miami (NBC): 30.0 million viewers (Front Office Sports); Jan. 1, 1991, Orange Bowl: Colorado vs Notre Dame (NBC): 29.6 million viewers (Front Office Sports); Jan. 1, 1998, Rose Bowl: Michigan vs Washington State (ABC): 29.0 million viewers (Front Office Sports); Jan. 1, 1994, Orange Bowl: Florida State vs Nebraska (NBC): 28.8 million viewers (Front Office Sports).
Conference championship games
2025 conference title games Nielsen official
| Date | Game | Network | Viewers | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec. 6, 2025 | Indiana Hoosiers at Ohio State Buckeyes | FOX | 18.33M | Wikipedia |
| Dec. 6, 2025 | Georgia Bulldogs at Alabama Crimson Tide | ABC | 16.86M | Sports Media Watch |
| Dec. 6, 2025 | BYU Cougars at Texas Tech Red Raiders | ABC | 8.99M | Sports Media Watch |
| Dec. 6, 2025 | Duke Blue Devils at Virginia Cavaliers | ABC | 3.88M | Wikipedia |
| Dec. 5, 2025 | North Texas Mean Green at Tulane Green Wave | ABC | 2.41M | Wikipedia |
| Dec. 5, 2025 | UNLV Rebels at Boise State Broncos | FOX | 1.52M | Wikipedia |
| Dec. 5, 2025 | Troy Trojans at James Madison Dukes | ESPN | 1.15M | Wikipedia |
| Dec. 6, 2025 | Miami (OH) RedHawks at Western Michigan Broncos | ESPN | 1.06M | Wikipedia |
All 2025 FBS conference title games with a published Nielsen number.
Most-watched conference title games, 2009–2025 Nielsen official
| Date | Game | Network | Viewers | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec. 6, 2025 | Indiana Hoosiers at Ohio State Buckeyes | FOX | 18.33M | Wikipedia |
| Dec. 5, 2009 | Florida at Alabama | CBS | 18.00M | CFBTrack |
| Dec. 1, 2018 | Alabama at Georgia | CBS | 17.50M | CFBTrack |
| Dec. 2, 2023 | Georgia at Alabama | CBS | 17.50M | CFBTrack |
| Dec. 6, 2025 | Georgia Bulldogs at Alabama Crimson Tide | ABC | 16.86M | Sports Media Watch |
| Dec. 7, 2024 | Georgia at Texas | ABC | 16.60M | CFBTrack |
| Dec. 1, 2012 | Alabama at Georgia | CBS | 16.20M | CFBTrack |
| Dec. 4, 2021 | Georgia at Alabama | CBS | 15.30M | CFBTrack |
| Dec. 7, 2013 | Missouri at Auburn | CBS | 14.30M | CFBTrack |
| Dec. 8, 2013 | Ohio State at Michigan State | FOX | 13.90M | CFBTrack |
| Dec. 7, 2019 | Georgia at LSU | CBS | 13.70M | CFBTrack |
| Dec. 8, 2019 | Ohio State at Wisconsin | FOX | 13.60M | CFBTrack |
| Dec. 2, 2017 | Georgia at Auburn | CBS | 13.50M | CFBTrack |
| Dec. 3, 2017 | Ohio State at Wisconsin | FOX | 12.90M | CFBTrack |
| Dec. 6, 2014 | Alabama at Missouri | CBS | 12.80M | CFBTrack |
| Dec. 5, 2015 | Florida at Alabama | CBS | 12.80M | CFBTrack |
| Dec. 5, 2009 | Texas at Nebraska | ABC | 12.70M | CFBTrack |
| Dec. 3, 2011 | Georgia at LSU | CBS | 12.00M | CFBTrack |
| Dec. 5, 2021 | Michigan at Iowa | FOX | 11.70M | CFBTrack |
| Dec. 1, 2018 | Texas at Oklahoma | ABC | 10.30M | CFBTrack |
| Dec. 2, 2023 | Oregon at Washington | ABC | 9.25M | CFBTrack |
| Dec. 7, 2019 | Baylor at Oklahoma | ABC | 8.70M | CFBTrack |
| Dec. 4, 2021 | Baylor at Oklahoma State | ABC | 8.02M | CFBTrack |
| Dec. 2, 2023 | Oklahoma State at Texas | ABC | 7.89M | CFBTrack |
| Dec. 7, 2013 | Oklahoma at Oklahoma State | ABC | 7.28M | CFBTrack |
| Dec. 5, 2009 | Cincinnati at Pittsburgh | ABC | 6.74M | CFBTrack |
| Dec. 3, 2011 | Oklahoma at Oklahoma State | ABC | 5.90M | CFBTrack |
| Dec. 2, 2017 | TCU at Oklahoma | FOX | 5.90M | CFBTrack |
| Dec. 3, 2017 | Miami at Clemson | ABC | 5.43M | CFBTrack |
| Dec. 1, 2012 | Texas at Kansas State | ABC | 5.20M | CFBTrack |
| Dec. 1, 2012 | Nebraska at Wisconsin | FOX | 5.10M | CFBTrack |
Title games that made CFBTrack's top-25 lists for each season (2009–2024) plus 2025 games over 10 million. Not a complete list of every title game. CFBTrack files title games under “regular season”; we split them out by date.
Methodology and caveats
- Nielsen official vs. computed. Tables tagged Nielsen official are Nielsen's own numbers as released by the networks or Nielsen. Tables tagged Computed by us are our averages of per-game Nielsen figures; they are not an official Nielsen ranking.
- Out-of-home viewing. Nielsen has counted viewing in bars, restaurants and other out-of-home places since August 2020, which raised numbers compared with earlier years.
- Out-of-home expansion, February 2025. Nielsen expanded out-of-home measurement to all markets, lifting 2025–26 numbers.
- Big Data + Panel, September 2025. Nielsen's Big Data + Panel method became the standard from September 2025; some early-season 2025 numbers are panel only. Compare 2025–26 figures with earlier years carefully.
- Networks Nielsen doesn't measure. Games only on SEC Network, ACC Network, CBS Sports Network, Longhorn Network, or streaming only on ESPN+ or Peacock have no comparable national number and are left out of the averages. The Big Ten Network was also left out of Nielsen's 2026 team list. Teams that play many such games are undercounted.
- Pre-2020 records come from figures reported at the time and are often rounded.
- Data last updated Nov. 1, 2026. 2026 figures cover Week 8 (games through Oct. 24, 2026). Postseason 2026–27 is not played yet. Spot an error? Email [email protected].