Ratings Roundup: Final FIFA World Cup Audience Over Billion; ESPN Hits New High For College GameDay, Low For Heisman Presentation

The FIFA Final World Cup viewership figures are in and to no one's surprise they are massive. In addition, ESPN's College GameDay set new ratings and viewership records this season, while the networks coverage of the Heisman Trophy ceremony hit a 14-year low. More ratings news on Week 14 of the NFL season, NBCSN's big 2015, record WTA ratings, and more below.

Final World Cup Figures: 3.2 Viewers Overall, 1 Billion for Final

The final figures are in and more than one billion fans tuned in to watch the final of the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil, with the competition reaching a global in-home television audience of 3.2 billion people, according to FIFA and Kantar Media. An estimated 280 million people around the world watched matches online or on a mobile device, in a sign that more and more fans are embracing new technology for sports content.

The 2014 FIFA World Cup broke several TV audience records in key international markets, including the United States and Germany.

The final between Argentina and eventual champions Germany attracted an in-home audience of 695 million, up by 12 per cent on the 2010 final for viewers watching for 20 minutes or more. The total audience for the final, including in-home and out-of-home figures for viewers watching for at least one minute, hit 1.013 billion.

Broadcasters showed some 98,087 hours of match footage in total from Brazil, up 36 per cent from 2010. View the full Television Audience Report for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Some key TV viewing figures from the 2014 FIFA World Cup: Final match total in- and out-of-home audience reach (1 minute) hit 1.013 billion; In-home audience for final ( 20 minutes) up by 12% on 2010 to 695 million; An estimated 280 million people watched matches online or on a mobile device; Total broadcast hours: 98,087 ( 36% on 2010)

ESPN's College Game Day Notches Most Watched Season Ever

In 2015, College GameDay Built by The Home Depot averaged 1,961,000 viewers per episode (14 shows), the most-watched regular season since the show expanded to three hours on ESPN in 2013. The record-setting viewership represents a 5% increase from last season (1,859,000) and 7% from 2013 (1,830,000). The traveling college football pregame show set a new high-water mark for household rating in the same three-year time period with a 1.4 - compared to a 1.3 in 2014 and 2013.

Three times this season College GameDay set a new high-water mark for the most-watched three-hour, regular season episode, the most-recent being on Nov. 28 from Stillwater, Okla. (2,267,000 viewers). The second and third best ratings were Nov. 7, 2015 in Tuscaloosa, AL (2,233,000) and Sept. 5, 2015 in Fort Worth, TX (2,232,000). Overall, 5 of the 7 most-watched three-hour episodes occurred this season.

College GameDay on WatchESPN had a record year with the 14 most-streamed episodes ever all occurring this season, led by the week 5 (October 3rd) episode from Clemson, S.C. Top 3 episodes based on average minute impressions: Oct. 3, 2015 with 46,000 in Clemson, SC; Sept. 19, 2015 with 43,000 in Tuscaloosa, AL; and Nov. 21, 2015 with 43,000 in Columbus, OH

Heisman Ceremony Hits 14-Year Low

Ratings for the Heisman Trophy Presentation tied a 14-year low. Saturday's Heisman Trophy Presentation earned a 1.9 final rating and 3.1 million viewers on ESPN, down a tick in ratings and 3% in viewership from last year (2.0, 3.2M), down 27% in both measures from 2013 (2.6, 4.2M), and tied with 2003 as the lowest rated edition of the event since 2001 (1.5). (SportsMediaWatch)

NFL Week 14 Recap

Fox's America's Game of the Week, which featured the Dallas Cowboys at Green Bay Packers as the lone game, drew a 16.5/31 household rating/share, and 28.9 million viewers. The game ranked as the highest-rated, most-watched program of the week on any network, and is the second highest-rated NFL telecast of the 2015 season. This is the seventh time in as many opportunities that AGOTW has been the No. 1 program of the week this season, and it continues to rank as the highest-rated and most-watched program in all of television this TV season. The 16.5/31, 28.9 million viewers for AGOTW on Sunday (12/13) is 6% better in rating and 12% in audience compared to the AGOTW Week 14 window a year ago (15.6/28, 25.9 million). Through Week 14, AMERICA'S GAME OF THE WEEK on FOX is averaging a 15.8/30, with 27.5 million viewers, 3% over AGOTW's season-to-date average audience a year ago (26.7 million viewers), and 9% better than CBS' national game average audience (25.2 million) and 20% better than NBC's Sunday Night Football average (23.0 million) this season.

Through 14 weeks, FOX NFL SUNDAY is averaging a 3.4/9 and 5.2 million viewers, 8% in audience ahead of last year (4.8 million), and 44% better than The NFL Today (3.6 million).

FOX NFL SUNDAY delivered its fifth consecutive ratings increase of the season over the weekend, posting a 3.7/10 and 5.6 million viewers, 37% over the 4.1 million viewers recorded in Week 14 a year ago, and is 56% better than CBS' The NFL Today (3.6 million) in 2015.

Season-to-date, FOX NFL is averaging a 12.0/25 household rating/share for all games, and after trailing last season by as much as 7% in rating, is now one-tenth better than last year at this time (11.9/25). FOX NFL's average audience of 20.6 million viewers this season ranks as the third most-watched ever for the network

The Patriots/Texans Sunday Night Football game earned a 12.3 final rating and 21.0 million viewers on NBC, down 4% in ratings and 1% in viewership from Patriots/Chargers last year (12.8, 21.2M) but up 9% and 10%, respectively, from Panthers/Saints in 2013 (11.3, 19.1M). (SportsMediaWatch)

The Giants/Dolphins Monday Night Football game earned a 7.4 final rating and 11.5 million viewers on ESPN, down 13% in ratings and 17% in

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