TV ratings for LSU's championship win beat last year, ESPN says

NEW ORLEANS — LSU's national championship game victory against Clemson drew nearly 26 million viewers to ESPN, up slightly from last year's final.

ESPN said Tuesday  that viewership for the three-game College Football Playoff increased 4% from last season, when Clemson beat Alabama in the championship.

The network's championship game megacast, which includes ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPNews, drew 25.6 million viewers. Last year's megacast had 25.3 million viewers. The ESPN-only audience was also up over last year, from 24.3 million to 25 million.

Joe Burrow, the Heisman Trophy winner, led No. 1 LSU to a 42-25 victory Monday night in New Orleans. The game was 28-25 in the third quarter before LSU surged and put away the title early in the fourth quarter.

Overall, the television audience for New Year's Six games were down 4% over last year for ESPN.

More Tigers

Superdome turf from LSU championship headed to New Orleans high school

LSU fan's GoFundMe to buy Clemson a new mascot costume raises more than $2k

Reports: LSU's Joe Brady to become offensive coordinator of the Carolina Panthers

Is this LSU team the greatest college football team of all time?

LSU National Championship parade set for this Saturday

► Get breaking news from your neighborhood delivered directly to you by downloading the new FREE WWL-TV News app now in the IOS App Store or Google Play.