The College Football Playoff's first round averaged 9.9 million viewers across multiple networks, marking a 7% drop from last year. A key factor was the final game between James Madison and Oregon airing on TNT, TBS, and truTV instead of ABC and ESPN. It also faced competition from an NFL game. The Chicago Bears' victory over the Green Bay Packers drew 21.3 million viewers, overshadowing Oregon's win, which attracted 4.4 million. Alabama's comeback victory over Oklahoma was the most-watched CFP game, averaging 14.9 million viewers. ESPN sublicenses some CFP games to other networks, impacting viewership.

Venus Williams and Andrea Preti are married. The tennis great announced the union Tuesday on social media. Williams and Preti became wife and husband over the weekend in Florida as part of a five-day celebration. After becoming the second-oldest woman to win a tour-level singles match in July, the 45-year-old Williams gave thanks to her fiance, who was in the stands at the DC Open. Preti is a Danish-born Italian model and actor, according to the website IMDB. The seven-time Grand Slams singles champion plans to play in a 33rd straight season on the WTA Tour, starting in Auckland in January.

The evolution of the Christmas Day sports calendar in the U.S. has given fans a respite if they need a break from family gatherings or just some entertainment while they sip on eggnog. This year’s major events include five NBA games and three NFL games, with games spanning more than 12 hours. The NBA games include the Spurs at Thunder, Rockets at Lakers, Timberwolves at Nuggets, Cavaliers at Knicks and Mavericks at Warriors. In the NFL, it's the Lions at Vikings, Broncos at Chiefs and Cowboys at Commanders.

Al Michaels has reached a remarkable milestone in his broadcasting career, marking 40 years as the play-by-play announcer for the NFL’s primetime games. This season, his Christmas night game will be his 779th NFL broadcast. Michaels began his career with ABC’s “Monday Night Football” in 1986, and later moved to NBC for “Sunday Night Football.” He is now in his fourth season with Prime Video’s “Thursday Night Football.” Michaels, who turned 81 in November, shows no signs of slowing down. His passion and excitement for big games remain strong, making him a legendary figure in sports broadcasting.

NEW YORK (AP) — Timothée Chalamet squints as he gazes out at the Manhattan shoreline. It’s a few hours before the premiere of his new movie, “…

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — Jowon Briggs was sitting in a New York Jets special teams meeting earlier this season when Chris Banjo turned to him…

Mariah Carey is going to add some American pop-star pedigree to the opening ceremony for the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics.