Penn State quarterback Drew Allar (15) throws a pass while being pressured by SMU defensive end Jahfari Harvey (6) during the first half in the first round of the NCAA College Football Playoff, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024, in State College, Pa. (AP Photo/Barry Reeger)
NEW YORK (AP) --
A pair of Saturday NFL games drew a larger viewing audience than college football for the rollout of the sport’s 12-team playoff.
The playoff game between SMU and Penn State averaged 6.4 million viewers on TNT networks, compared with the Texans-Chiefs game on NBC, which averaged 15.5 million viewers.
Later, Clemson-Texas drew 8.6 million viewers on TNT, compared with 15.4 million for Steelers-Ravens on Fox.
ESPN, ABC and others aired the other two college games — Indiana-Notre Dame (13.4 million) on Friday night and Tennessee-Ohio State (14.3 million) on Saturday night. There were no competing NFL games.
The overall average of 10.6 million viewers was higher than all but four college games this season.
This image released by Adult Swim shows the animated superhero Space Ghost, voiced by George Lowe, in a scene from the series “Space Ghost Coast to Coast." (Adult Swim via AP)
By JOHN SEEWER Associated Press
George Lowe, the voice behind the irreverent animated superhero on Adult Swim's "Space Ghost Coast to Coast," has died. He was 67.
He died Sunday in Lakeland, Florida, two of his business representatives said. Lowe had been struggling to recover from elective heart surgery in November, his family said in a statement. "Over the past few months, his family and friends have been by his side in support and care for him," the statement said.
Lowe's booming voice and off-the-wall humor turned "Space Ghost Coast to Coast" into a cult classic among young adults and teens.
The show debuted in 1994 and aired for more than a decade on Cartoon Network as part of its Adult Swim nighttime programming block. It was Cartoon Network's first original production and set the foundation for several other original series including "The Powerpuff Girls," "Courage the Cowardly Dog" and "Johnny Bravo."
On "Space Ghost Coast to Coast," Lowe played the role of cartoon superhero Space Ghost, who hosted a talk show and interviewed real celebrities. While the interviews with the likes of William Shatner, Conan O'Brien and Donny Osmond were pre-recorded, Lowe would later add wacky and rambling digressions, such as asking guests if they were getting enough oxygen.
"Insanity became en vogue, thanks to us," Lowe told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in 2004.
Adult Swim President Michael Ouweleen said the show proved the network could find success with its own productions.
"You all knew him as Space Ghost (and all his other characters), but we knew him as himself, a true character in his own right, one that left an indelible mark on all of us at Adult Swim," he said.
