Viewership For College Football Playoff Championship Up From Record Low 2021 — But Still Below NFL’s Ratings

More than 22 million people watched the College Football Playoff final between the University of Alabama and the University of Georgia on Monday night, an increase from last year's record low totals but still below prior national championship games.

The Alabama and Georgia football teams will play for the College Football Playoff National Championship on January 10, 2022, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, IN.

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The national championship game on Monday drew 22.6 million viewers, a 19% increase over last year's final.

The national championship game had a record high market share for any game, with nearly 30% of all television viewers tuning in.

The College Football Playoff game scored the second-lowest ratings since it began in 2015, sinking 9% below the 25.3 million average viewers who watched in 2019.

Georgia won its first national championship in 33 years.

The gap between college football and the NFL has been worsened by the Pandemic. During the regular season of the National Football League in the year 2021, CBS and Fox averaged 21.6 million and 23.1 million viewers, respectively, for their primary national broadcasts. Television ratings for professional sports struggled in 2020 and early 2021, but have recovered strongly. College football has struggled more than the NFL in regaining viewers, possibly due to the effects of a Pandemic-altered 2020 season and more gambling interest in the league.

What to watch for.

The College Football Playoff is a four-team format. College Football Playoff leadership met Monday to discuss expanding the field to eight or 12 teams, but no agreement was reached.

College Football Playoff leaders will meet again in the coming weeks to discuss expanding the field.

College football continues to decline, but the ratings for the NFL TV show have rebounded.