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UCF's dramatic 62-55 double-overtime win over Memphis was the most-watched American Athletic Conference Championship Game in the league's short history, as it picked up a 2.5 overnight national rating on ABC. That's up 56% from Temple-Navy in last year's AAC Championship (1.6), and up 25% from Houston-Temple (2.1) in 2015, according to SportsMediaWatch.com. The final rating for the game ended up at 2.3.
3.385 million viewers tuned in on ABC to see the Knights' 62-55 2 overtime win over the Tigers, which is the fifth-most watched UCF Football telecast ever, and the second-most watched non-bowl game behind only the War on I-4 Game from Black Friday this year. It is also the most-watched UCF conference title game ever.
Top 10 Most-Watched UCF Football Telecasts Nationally
Matchup | Date | Network | Viewers | Rating | Notes |
Baylor vs. UCF | 1/1/14 | ESPN | 11.3 million | 6.6 | 2014 Fiesta Bowl |
UCF vs. Georgia | 12/31/10 | ESPN | 4.7 million | 3.0 | 2010 Liberty Bowl |
USF at UCF | 11/24/17 | ABC | 4.6 million | 3.2 | War on I-4 |
Mississippi State vs. UCF | 12/29/07 | ESPN | 3.9 million | N/A | 2007 Liberty Bowl |
Memphis at UCF | 12/2/17 | ABC | 3.385 million | 2.3 | AAC Championship |
South Carolina at UCF | 9/28/13 | ABC | 3.2 million | 2.2 | |
N.C. State vs. UCF | 12/26/14 | ESPN | 3.2 million | 2.0 | 2014 St. Pete Bowl |
UCF at Michigan | 9/10/16 | ABC | 2.8 million | 1.9 | |
UCF vs. Rutgers | 12/19/09 | ESPN | 2.5 million | N/A | 2009 St. Pete Bowl |
UCF at Louisville | 10/18/13 | ESPN | 2.2 million | 1.5 | Thursday Night |
The game was down from USF-UCF on Black Friday by 1.3 million viewers nationally. A big part of that was tougher competition as the American Athletic Conference Championship Game went head-to-head with the Big 12 Championship Game on FOX, which garnered 5.8 million viewers and was the most-watched Big 12 game since 2013.
The American Athletic Conference Championship was the 6th-most watched football game of the weekend behind each of the the Power 5's conference championship games, with the SEC and Big 10 leading the way:
Rating | Viewers | Teams | Game | Time Slot | Network |
8.0 | 13.466M | GeorgiaAuburn | SECChamp. | Dec. 2, 4:00 PM | CBS |
7.3 | 12.918M | Ohio StateWisconsin | Big TenChamp. | Dec. 2, 8:15 PM | FOX |
3.8 | 5.896M | OklahomaTCU | Big 12Champ. | Dec. 2, 12:45 PM | FOX |
3.2 | 5.428M | ClemsonMiami | ACCChamp. | Dec. 2, 8:00 PM | ABC |
N/A | 3.657M | USCStanford | Pac-12Champ. | Dec. 1, 8:00 PM | ESPN |
2.3 | 3.385M | UCF Memphis | AAC Champ. | Dec. 2, Noon | ABC |
N/A | 1.856M | College GamedayFrom ACC Championship | Dec. 1, 9:00 AM | ESPN | |
N/A | 1.630M | CFP Rankings ShowAll four hours | Dec. 3, Noon | ESPN | |
0.45 | 652K | ToledoAkron | MACChamp. | Dec. 2, Noon | ESPN |
0.39 | 623K | Boise St.Fresno St. | MWCChamp. | Dec. 2, 7:45 PM | ESPN |
N/A | 255K | No. TexasFAU | C-USAChamp. | Dec. 3, Noon | ESPN2 |
N/A | 225K | TroyArk. State. | Sun Belt | Dec. 3, 7:30 PM | ESPN2 |
UCF will take on Auburn in the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl in Atlanta on January 1st on ESPN at 12:30 p.m. Dave Flemming, Brock Huard and Allison Williams will be on the television broadcast while Tom Hart, Jordan Rodgers and Cole Cubelic will call the game for ESPN Radio.