Wow. I hate admitting when I’m wrong, but sometimes when you’re so epically incorrect about something, the only recourse is to shake your head and smile. Last night’s BCS College Football National Championship Game was the highest rated program in the history of cable television. Now let me back up to the part where I was wrong. Last night I sat inside a local bar, roughly half full, and explained to my girlfriend why more people weren’t there. I cited the game moving to cable, the BCS waiting to air it until after the NFL playoffs had started and the lack of a historically dominant school in the championship. Apparently, none of that mattered at all. Both ESPN and the powers behind college football must be jumping for joy right now.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, more than twenty-seven million people watched last night’s broadcast live. That’s almost six million more than watched the previous high, an NFL regular season Monday Night Football contest between the Vikings and the Packers. People love Brett Favre, but I guess they also love Auburn and Oregon.
Last year’s final between the Oklahoma Sooners and the Florida Gators outdrew this year’s dual only slightly. That game attracted twenty-eight and a half million viewers. When you account for this year’s being on cable, Monday’s draw has to be considered more impressive.
The BCS National Championship Game will continue airing on ESPN through at least 2014. If results like this continue, I see no reason why the two sides wouldn’t continue their partnership.
