All ratings numbers via Sports Media Watch.
If the numbers from Sunday indicate where the NFL might go, you might want to start making a ring for the other hand for Tom Brady and Bill Belichick.
It was no contest between the two championship games.
The late game, the AFC title game, was the second largest-watched AFC title game since 1977. Only 2011's beat the Patriots-Chiefs' 53.9 million viewers with a 27.5 rating.
The fourth quarter was especially electric for the numbers, with the 9:30-10 PM Eastern half-hour being the best at 32.2 rating and nearly 64 million viewers at that point.
The only AFC title game to beat that full number in over 40 years was Jets-Steelers with almost 55 million for the full number in 2011.
Highest-rated non-Super Bowl NFL game in three years (the Peyton Manning Retirement Tour victory over the Patriots (2016 AFC Championship Game)), and the most-watched in five (NFC Championship Game 49ers/Seahawks (2014)).
Outside of news events and the NFL, SMW says Sunday's AFC title clash was higher-rated than any American television program outside that scope since the 2000 Oscars, and more watched by any American television program outside that scope since the Seinfeld finale in 1998!
In contrast, the NFC game was basically even with last year's (24.5 rating, 44.075 million viewers) and was one of the lower recent conference title games for the NFL.
If ratings turn into part of the booking discussion, start thinking Patriots here.
The Patriots are, as of right now, a 2 1/2 point favorite, getting about 80% of the money, according to VegasInsider.
No comments:
Post a Comment