ESPN Scores Record Viewership for Oregon-Ohio State Game

An unprecedented number of viewers tuned their televisions to ESPN on Monday night for the NCAA championship game between Oregon and Ohio State.

Some 33.3 million people watched the inaugural College Football Playoff tournament, according to The Hollywood Reporter. That gives ESPN its three most viewed programs, with the Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl games on New Year’s Day each bringing in about 28 million viewers.

The massive audience is a huge win for the tournament, a 12-year deal for which ESPN—No. 1 in cable ratings for last year—paid $7.3 billion.

[The Hollywood Reporter]