ESPN says that over 25 million viewers tuned in to see Michigan’s national championship game win over Washington on Monday night.

Per the World Wide Leader, this is the most-watched national championship game since 2020 and represents a 45% increase over last season’s title game. The broadcast peaked at 28 million viewers, per ESPN’s release.

Overall, the ratings for this year’s College Football Playoff were very strong. This was the most-watched 3-game CFP since 2018, which included Georgia’s overtime victory over Oklahoma in the Rose Bowl and Alabama’s comeback win over the Bulldogs in the national championship game.

While the final score may not show it, Michigan’s 34-13 win over Washington was a close game until the Wolverines separated in the 4th quarter. Michigan was up by just 7 points entering the final stanza, but was able to find the end zone a couple of times to seal the win.

Michigan’s win represents its first national championship since the 1997 season.

The College Football Playoff will expand to 12 teams beginning in 2024.