ESPN’s thriller Clemson-Alabama College Football Playoff National Championship game telecast drew 24.3 million viewers, slightly below last year’s matchup between the two schools.

While the game fell short of the 25 million viewers who tuned into the 2016 CFP Championshp contest, the Clemson-Alabama rematch was arguably more exciting than last year’s gripping game, with the Tigers pulling off the 35-31 upset over the Crimson Tide with a touchdown in the final seconds of the game.

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With additional TV feeds and streaming, the network said it reached 26 million viewers. In addition, the network said it averaged 16 million viewers for all seven New Year’s eve telecasts as well as the national championship game, up 15% from last season’s seven game total.