The College Football Playoff (CFP) semifinals in the 2025-26 season delivered disappointing TV ratings compared to the previous year, marking a notable downturn in viewership for the second iteration of the expanded 12-team format.
The two semifinal games, both aired on ESPN family networks, averaged 16.8 million viewers combined — a 13% decline from the prior year’s semifinals (19.2 million). This pair represents the least-watched semifinals in the 12-year history of the CFP, even falling below the previous low of 16.9 million from the 2021 New Year’s Eve games.
By the numbers
On Thursday, January 8, 2026, the Fiesta Bowl matchup between No. 10 Miami and No. 6 Ole Miss averaged 15.8 million viewers. The game, a thrilling narrow win for Miami (31-27), peaked at 17.2 million in the final minutes but still ranked as one of the lowest-viewed CFP semifinals ever. It declined 11% from the comparable Thursday semifinal the previous year (Penn State vs. Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl, 17.8 million). Notably, this figure even trailed all four quarterfinal games from the prior week, including the least-watched quarterfinal (Oregon vs. Texas Tech at 15.9 million).
The following night, Friday’s Peach Bowl between No. 5 Oregon and No. 1 Indiana performed better, averaging 18.0 million viewers and peaking at 21.4 million. Despite the strong showing — making it one of the top-three most-watched Peach Bowls on record — it still dropped 16% (or about 13% in some reports) from the previous year’s Friday semifinal (Texas vs. Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl, 20.9 million, with some sources citing 20.6 million).
Several factors contributed to these declines. The absence of traditional powerhouse programs (“bluebloods”) like Alabama and Ohio State — both eliminated in the quarterfinals — likely played a major role. The quarterfinals had been a massive success, averaging 19.3 million viewers (up 14% year-over-year), led by marquee matchups such as Indiana’s dominant 38-3 rout of Alabama in the Rose Bowl (23.9 million to 24.9 million in some reports, the most-watched CFP game in the 12-team era) and Miami’s upset of Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl (19 million). Without those name-brand draws in the semis, interest waned significantly.
These viewership drops occurred despite Nielsen’s shift to the Big Data + Panel methodology (introduced fully in 2025), which combines traditional panels with smart TV, set-top box, and streaming data. This change has generally boosted sports numbers year-over-year by capturing more out-of-home and digital viewing, meaning the actual declines in comparable terms are likely even steeper than the raw percentages suggest.
Critics have pointed to the weekday scheduling (Thursday and Friday nights) as a potential issue, though the NFL routinely succeeds with Monday Night Football and Thursday Night Football.
Will things turn around?
Looking ahead, optimism remains high for future ratings. Next year’s CFP will feature more games on broadcast network ABC rather than solely on cable ESPN, which historically drives higher audiences due to broader over-the-air access. Additionally, ESPN/ABC will host both the CFP National Championship and the Super Bowl in the same year — a first for ESPN — creating a massive platform for promotion and crossover viewership.
Overall, while the expanded playoff delivered strong early-round numbers (with the CFP averaging around 14.9 million to 16.8 million through semis in some aggregates, roughly on par or slightly up year-over-year when factoring all rounds), the semifinal drop highlights the format’s reliance on star power and optimal scheduling to maintain peak interest. As the playoff evolves, these lessons could shape future expansions and broadcast strategies.
