Between the Cotton Bowl and the Orange Bowl on New Year's Eve, the College Football Playoff semifinals recorded the lowest combined ratings in the CFP history.
According to Sports Business Journal, the Cotton Bowl between Alabama and Cincinnati drew 16.1 million viewers, while the Orange Bowl between Michigan and Georgia pulled in 16.5 million viewers.
Previously, per Sports Media Watch, the lowest combined year came in 2015, also in the Cotton Bowl and Orange Bowl. On New Year's Eve in 2015, Alabama routed Michigan State (18.6 million viewers) and Clemson defeated Oklahoma (15.