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Monday Final Nationals: Alabama-Clemson College Football Playoff National Championship on ESPN Draws Top Cable Telecast in Twelve Months

The College Football Playoff National Championship – an Alabama 45-40 victory over Clemson – averaged 25.667 million total viewers and a 14.7 household rating, marking it the most-watched cable program since the inaugural CFP National Championship (Jan 12, 2015). To-date, the audience is the sixth best in the history of cable. As a result, ESPN has now aired the eight most-watched programs in the history of cable television (six national title games and CFP semifinals) and 17 of the top 20 programs.

ESPN’s Megacast presentation of the CFP National Championship averaged 26.182 million viewers, with ESPN2 (Film Room) and ESPNU (Homer Telecast) each averaging more than 225,000 viewers throughout the game. ESPN Deportes added more than 55,000 viewers.

On the downside, the National Championship Megacast delivered a 24 percent decrease in total viewership from one year ago (Ohio State-Oregon: 34.148 million on 1/12/15).

In addition, at a 8.26 adults 18-49 rating solely from ESPN, it was the lowest-rated National Championship in the demographic in eight years (since LSU-Ohio State on Fox, 1/07/2008: 8.2).

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Monday, January 11, 2016
PROGRAM HH/Share Viewers
(000)		 Adults
18-34		 Adults
18-49		 Adults
25-54
8-11 Network Average 4.0/6 5903 1.6/6 1.6/5 2.0/5
8:00 The Bachelor 4.6/7 6895 1.9/7 2.0/6 2.3/6
10:02 Bachelor Live 2.7/5 3816 0.9/3 1.0/3 1.2/3
PROGRAM HH/Share Viewers
(000)		 Adults
18-34		 Adults
18-49		 Adults
25-54
8-11 Network Average 4.9/8 7635 0.7/3 1.4/4 2.1/5
8:00 Big Bang Theory (r) 5.5/9 8868 1.1/4 1.9/6 2.8/7
8:30 Big Bang Theory (r) 5.2/8 8277 1.1/4 1.9/6 2.8/7
9:00 Scorpion (r) 4.7/7 7473 0.7/2 1.4/4 2.0/5
9:59 NCIS: Los Angeles (r) 4.5/8 6869 0.5/2 1.0/3 1.6/4
PROGRAM HH/Share Viewers
(000)		 Adults
18-34		 Adults
18-49		 Adults
25-54
8-11 Network Average 2.5/4 3839 0.7/3 1.1/3 1.4/4
8:00 Superstore 3.4/5 5376 1.0/4 1.5/5 2.0/5
8:30 Telenovela 2.4/4 3612 0.6/2 1.0/3 1.3/3
9:00 The Biggest Loser 2.3/4 3497 0.7/3 1.1/3 1.3/3
PROGRAM HH/Share Viewers
(000)		 Adults
18-34		 Adults
18-49		 Adults
25-54
8-10 Network Average 1.5/2 2514 0.6/2 0.9/3 1.1/3
8:00 MasterChef Junior (r) 1.5/2 2514 0.6/2 0.9/3 1.1/3
PROGRAM HH/Share Viewers
(000)		 Adults
18-34		 Adults
18-49		 Adults
25-54
8-10 Network Average 0.8/1 1282 0.3/1 0.4/1 0.5/1
8:00 Whose Line Is It Anyway? (r) 0.7/1 1197 0.3/1 0.4/1 0.5/1
8:30 Whose Line Is It Anyway? (r) 0.7/1 1247 0.3/1 0.4/1 0.5/1
9:00 Penn & Teller: Fool Us (r) 0.8/1 1341 0.3/1 0.4/1 0.5/1
PROGRAM HH/Share Viewers
(000)		 Adults
18-34		 Adults
18-49		 Adults
25-54
8-11 Network Average 1.4/2 2596 1.0/3
7:00 Muchacha Italiana Viene a Casarse 1.1/2 2032 0.7/3
8:00 Antes Muerta Que Lichita 1.2/2 2240 0.8/2
9:00 Pasion y Poder 1.3/2 2539 0.9/3
10:03 Yo No Creo En Hombres 1.6/6 3035 1.2/4
PROGRAM HH Viewers
(000)		 Adults
18-34		 Adults
18-49		 Adults
25-54
7:56 College Football Studio 4.87 8067 2.26 2.55 2.80
8:19 College Football Studio 6.92 11731 3.20 3.66 4.02
8:27 College Football Playoff National Championship: Alabama vs. Clemson (thru 11:45) 14.67 25667 6.96 8.26 9.18

Sub-Demo Breakdowns – Monday 1/11/16

“The Bachelor” (ABC)
Women 18-34: 2.9/10
Men 18-34: 0.9/3
Women 18-49: 2.9/8
Men 18-49: 1.0/3

“Bachelor Live” (ABC)
Women 18-34: 1.3/5
Men 18-34: 0.4/1
Women 18-49: 1.5/4
Men 18-49: 0.4/1

“Superstore” (NBC)
Women 18-34: 1.2/4
Men 18-34: 0.7/3
Women 18-49: 1.9/6
Men 18-49: 1.1/4

“Telenovela” (NBC)
Women 18-34: 0.8/3
Men 18-34: 0.4/2
Women 18-49: 1.3/4
Men 18-49: 0.7/2

“The Biggest Loser” (NBC)
Women 18-34: 1.0/3
Men 18-34: 0.4/2
Women 18-49: 1.4/4
Men 18-49: 0.7/2

“College Football Playoff National Championship: Alabama vs. Clemson” (ESPN)
Women 18-34: 4.69
Men 18-34: 9.21
Women 18-49: 5.60
Men 18-49: 10.96

Cable Rankings – Monday 1/11/16
What follows are the top 20 most-watched shows in prime time on cable for Monday, January 11:


  1. “College Football Playoff National Championship: Alabama vs. Clemson” (ESPN, 8:27-11:45 p.m., 14.67 household rating): 25.667 million

  2. “College Football Studio” (ESPN, 8:19-8:27 p.m., 6.92 household rating): 11.731

  3. “College Football Studio” (ESPN, 7:56-8:19 p.m., 4.87 household rating): 8.067

  4. “WWE Raw” (USA, 8-9 p.m.): 3.536

  5. “WWE Raw” (USA, 10-11:07 p.m.): 3.228

  6. “WWE Raw” (USA, 9-10 p.m.): 3.206

  7. “The O’Reilly Factor” (Fox News Channel, 8 p.m.): 3.062

  8. “Love & Hip Hop 6” (VH1, 7:59 p.m.): 2.708

  9. “The Kelly File” (Fox News Channel, 9 p.m.): 2.118

  10. “Fast N Loud” (Discovery, 9 p.m.): 2.044

  11. “Kids Baking Championship” (Food Network, 8 p.m.): 1.739

  12. “Teen Mom” (MTV, 10 p.m.): 1.702

  13. “The Big Bang Theory” (TBS, 10:30 p.m.) and “House Hunters” (HGTV, 10 p.m.): 1.673 each


  1. “The Big Bang Theory” (TBS, 10 p.m.): 1.603

  2. “Hannity” (Fox News Channel, 10 p.m.): 1.587

  3. “American Dad” (Adult Swim, 10:30 p.m.): 1.563

  4. “House Hunters International” (HGTV, 10:30 p.m.): 1.514

  5. “American Dad” (Adult Swim, 10 p.m.): 1.511

  6. “Vanderpump Rules” (Bravo, 9 p.m.): 1.466


  • “Diesel Brothers” (Discovery, 10:01 p.m.): 1.424

  • “Cake Wars” (Food Network, 9 p.m.): 1.257

  • “Murder Comes to Town” (ID, 10 p.m.): 1.208

  • “Vanity Fair Confidential” (ID, 9 p.m.): 1.202

  • “Hit The Floor: Instant Replay” (VH1, 9 p.m.): 1.007

  • “Fashion Police: Golden Globes” (E!, 8 p.m.): 0.965


Source: Live+Same Day data, Nielsen Media Research

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