The College Football Playoff's 12-team experiment is producing major results for the sport's broadcast partner, ESPN. Ratings were up 14% over last year's quarterfinal matchups, with the Indiana Hoosiers-Alabama Crimson Tide Rose Bowl matchup and the Ohio State Buckeyes-Miami Hurricanes Cotton Bowl Classic leading the charge.
Regarding the Rose Bowl, the most-watched matchup of the 12-team era so far, per The Associated Press, "Top-seeded Indiana's 38-3 rout of No. 9 Alabama in the Rose Bowl Game Presented by Prudential averaged 24.9 million viewers, making it the most-watched College Football Playoff game since Michigan's win over Washington in the 2024 title game drew 25 million.