The Military-Navy sport Saturday was watched by an unprecedented variety of viewers.
The Midshipmen pulled off the upset in Landover, Maryland, 31-13, to extend their all-time collection lead, 63-55-7, and finish a two-game dropping streak to the Black Knights.
For the primary time since 2020, Donald Trump attended the sport, this time as president-elect.
President Biden has not attended the rivalry sport since being elected, however he did take within the contest in 2011 and 2012.
Trump took within the sport with Vice President-elect JD Vance, Elon Musk, Pete Hegseth, Daniel Penny, and others from a luxurious suite.
And it might be truthful to say that many tuned in to get a glimpse of the soon-to-be forty seventh president.
In reality, with Trump in attendance, the sport had its highest viewership on file.
The sport drew a median of 9.4 million viewers, essentially the most since not less than 1990.
Its earlier excessive was 8.45 million in 1992, and this yr’s determine is a 31% enhance over final yr’s viewers of seven.2 million.
It’s undoubtedly the most-watched Military-Navy sport since CBS took over airing rights in 1996.
In reality, it was the most-watched sport on CBS this yr, behind solely the Large Ten title sport.
It now ranks because the eleventh most-watched school soccer sport this season, rating forward of three convention championship video games, together with the Large 12, and is the most-watched sport that didn’t contain the Large Ten or SEC.
Viewers of the sport have elevated because the sport moved to the week after convention championship weekend in 2009.
It’s now the lone school sport of the day. This yr, each groups have been ranked for the primary time since 1960.
This yr’s sport was additionally the highest-scoring Military-Navy affair since 2011.
Navy bought out to a 14-0 lead, and regardless of Military chopping its deficit to 4, the Midshipmen by no means regarded again, scoring a 52-yard landing after which discovering the tip zone once more shortly after a faux punt.
With the victory, the Navy earned the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy, having additionally crushed the Air Power earlier this yr.
Military had gained six of the earlier eight conferences after the Navy rode a sizzling streak of successful 16 of 17 conferences.
The Midshipmen have been 9-3 on the season, whereas Military fell to 11-2.
Each groups now deal with their respective bowl video games.
The Navy will face Oklahoma within the Armed Forces Bowl, and the Military will face Louisiana Tech within the Independence Bowl.
