COLUMBUS – Ohio State’s double-overtime victory over arch-rival Michigan last November set new records for television viewing and online streaming, according to data released Wednesday by the National Football Foundation and the College Football Hall of Fame.
The Buckeyes’ nail-biting win over the Wolverines on Nov. 26 was the most watched game, generating a total live audience of 17.12 million viewers.
But Columbus is still the city with only the second-highest television ratings for college football. Birmingham, Ala., claims the top spot again.
The report on television ratings, streaming and live attendance was testament to the continued growth of the popularity of college football in the U.S.
Games airing on the ESPN networks during the 2016 regular and post-season drew viewers on 15.128 million streaming devices, more than 17 percent more than in 2015. The average number of minutes watched by streaming audiences for games televised on ABC grew by 53 percent.
The 668 NCAA football programs from the Football Bowl Subdivision to Division III drew 49.3 million fans to stadiums (see graph above) with the Southeastern Conference leading the way with average attendance of 77,507 at its members’ home fields. The Big Ten was second with an average of 66,151.
Michigan and Ohio State led the FBS in attendance with an average of 110,468 fans per home game in Michigan Stadium and 107,278 at Ohio Stadium
A total of 1.2 million fans attended Buckeye home games in 2016.
The College Football Playoff seems to be generating plenty of interest.
The national championship game between Clemson and Alabama Jan. 9 delivered a total audience, including TV feeds and streaming, of 26 million viewers, making it the most-watched event carried on a cable network since the 2016 title game between the same two teams.