Rose Bowl sets new viewership record during 12-team playoff era
Reading time: 2 minutes
It was a trend throughout the season. Alabama games brought in more viewers than any other team during the 2025 college football season.
And it was no different during the postseason… even if the result didn’t go the Tide’s way.
According to ESPN, Indiana’s 38-3 win over Alabama at the Rose Bowl in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals averaged 23.9 million viewers, topping out at 25.6 million viewers.
That’s the most-viewed game during the 12-team playoff era which began in 2024 and the fifth most-viewed game during the CFP era, which started in 2014.
Alabama football
The loss still didn’t come close to the most-watched Alabama game of all time. That title still belongs to Nick Saban’s first championship with the Tide when Alabama took down Texas in the 2010 BCS National Championship Game which drew 30.8 million viewers.
According to Nielsen ratings, Alabama had at least 10 million viewers for 7 of their 15 games this season including:
- vs. Indiana (CFP): 23.9 million
- vs. Georgia (SEC Championship): 16.9 million
- at Oklahoma (CFP): 14.9 million
- at Auburn: 11.3 million
- at Florida State: 10.7 million
- vs. Oklahoma: 10.5 million
- at Georgia: 10.4 million
The Crimson Tide went 3-4 in those seven games including losses in their two most-viewed games of the year.
Want updates like this delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up for our newsletter today.
