Playoff Viewership Puts Oregon Ducks’ Brand Power on Display

Though the Oregon Ducks' football season ended with a heartbreaking 56-22 loss to the Indiana Hoosiers in the Chick-fil-a Peach Bowl, the Ducks continue to win in the TV ratings race.

ESPN announced on Tuesday that the Ducks and Hoosiers marquee rematch amassed 18 million viewers with a peak of 21.4 million viewers during the broadcast last Friday, becoming the third highest viewed Peach Bowl in the game's history.

According to the sports broadcasting giant, the Peach Bowl beat out the Fiesta Bowl for the most-watched College Football Playoff semifinal game, with the Ole Miss and Miami matchup garnering 15.8 million viewers with a peak of 17.2 million viewers the day before Oregon's game.

Jan 9, 2026; Atlanta, GA, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore (5) throws a pass during the fourth quarter the 2025 Peach Bowl and semifinal game of the College Football Playoff at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Oregon's Playoff Viewership

Oregon's Peach Bowl appearance garnering plenty of eyes isn't a shock, even for this years' playoff lineup. The Ducks brought in 15.9 million viewers for their win against Texas Tech in the programs' first ever Orange Bowl appearance.

And though viewers for Oregon's matchup against the James Madison Dukes for their first round game at Autzen Stadium racked in 4.4 million eyeballs, only a fraction of the views Oregon's bowl appearances picked up, the game competed directly with the broadcast of a heated NFL rivalry with playoff implications between the Green Bay Packers and the Chicago Bears.

Overall viewership for the College Football Playoff increased by 14 percent going from the quarterfinals to the semifinals.

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Indiana celebrates its win as the Oregon Ducks face the Indiana Hoosiers in the Peach Bowl on Jan. 9, 2026, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Ducks Bring in Regular Season Eyeballs

Looking to the regular season, the strength of Oregon's national brand can be gleaned through the broadcast numbers. When the Ducks took on the then ranked USC Trojans in a Nov. late season showdown, Eugene, Oregon saw a second visit from ESPN's College Gameday; the first time the program visited the Ducks twice in one season in over a decade (and only the second time ever).

ESPN PR announced that 2.7 million average viewers who tuned in for the show covering the Trojans vs. the Ducks is the fourth most-watched regular season episode of the pregame program.

Furthermore, at the time it was played, Oregon's trip and victory to Penn State in late Sept. became the No. 10 most-watched game of the season with 8.5 million viewers.

Oregon making viewing records not only in their games, but the programs covering their games prior to kickoff shows that the Ducks continue to grab attention with a nationwide brand. An increase in viewership during the playoff may also speak to fans' yearning for more varied teams in the playoff instead of typically dominant programs once again running the postseason.

Jan 9, 2026; Atlanta, GA, USA; Oregon Ducks wide receiver Dakorien Moore (1) is tackled by Indiana Hoosiers linebacker Isaiah Jones (46) and defensive back Jamari Sharpe (22) during the second half of the 2025 Peach Bowl and semifinal game of the College Football Playoff at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The Memeification of Oregon's Loss

With a national brand like Oregon's, comes with it the criticism after a big loss. After the Ducks took their defeat in Atlanta, the social media world produced memes galore relating to Oregon's history of losing in big games as Indiana and Miami prepare to enter the College Football Playoff National Championship.

Time will tell if this title game between two unusually-successful teams will yield nation-wide attention, as Miami's last national championship came in 2001 and the Hoosiers have never won the hardware. Last years' national championship between Notre Dame and Ohio State brought in 22.1 million viewers, which became the most-watched non-NFL event that year (but didn't surpass 2024's national championship numbers).