ESPN’s telecast Monday night of the Tostitos BCS National Championship college football game, in which the Auburn Tigers won the title by defeating the Oregon Ducks, is the most-watched cable show ever, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The game attracted 27.3 million viewers, beating the total of 21.8 million for the previous record holder, a “Monday Night Football” telecast on Oct. 5, 2009, that pitted the Green Bay Packers against the Minnesota Vikings.

The Auburn-Oregon game scored a 17.8 rating in Nielsen’s fast nationals, according to the story. That figure is the highest in the history of cable TV, the story says, with records going back to 2001. The previous high in that category was another ESPN telecast, a “Monday Night Football” game on Nov. 30, 2009, between the New England Patriots and New Orleans Saints, which scored a 14.4 rating.

This year marked the first time the BCS title game was televised on cable, the story notes, adding that ESPN has a deal to continue the telecast through 2014.