Georgia-Ohio State CFP matchup posts historic television numbers
The College Football Playoff, or CFP, is the premier event in the FBS football season. The 2022 semifinal games proved to be two of the best on the field since the start of the Playoff in the 2014-15 season. Now, as the television numbers come in, it’s turning out to be a historic Playoff in that respect too.
According to ESPN PR, the network that currently has the media rights to the CFP announced that the Georgia–Ohio State game had 22.1 million viewers. That’s the most of any primetime semifinal game since the first year the Playoff occurred.
Along with that, the Georgia-Ohio State peaked at 24 million viewers and was a top-20 cablecast all-time. That mark of 22.1 million viewers was also slightly higher than the Fiesta Bowl, which had 21.7 million viewers.
Notably, the Fiesta Bowl broadcast, which featured Michigan and TCU, was up 33% from last year’s semifinal broadcast, and that was the lower-rated game of 2022. Both semifinals were held on New Year’s Eve, but the 2022 games were much more competitive. That, undoubtedly, was a factor in the total number of viewers.
No matter what, it’s good to see the CFP get excellent ratings. It’s a sign that, despite changes like the transfer portal and NIL, the fans are still there. Especially when the games are good, those fans are still going to be there to watch the games.
The game saw Ohio State jump out to a lead behind strong performances from CJ Stroud and Marvin Harrison Jr. However, in the fourth quarter, Stetson Bennett and Georgia stormed back to take a one-point lead. Still, the Buckeyes had a chance to win on a long kick to win, but they missed it.
With the win Georgia is moving to the CFP championship, looking to defend its crown from last season against TCU.