CBS Sports Earns Second Highest Viewer Average For AFC Championship Game In 32 Years With 51.3 Million

Household Rating is Second Highest for AFC Championship Game in 17 Years with 28.1/51

CBS Sports’ coverage of the 2014 AFC CHAMPIONSHIP game featuring the  Denver Broncos defeating the New England Patriots on Sunday, Jan. 19 (3:06-6:08 PM, ET) averaged 51.3 million viewers (Persons 2+), which is the second-highest viewer average for the AFC Championship game in 32 years, according to Nielsen fast national ratings. (1/10/82; 51.6 million viewers; Cincinnati-San Diego; NBC).

The 51.3 million viewers for the 2014 AFC Championship game is up 22% from the early-game window last year (42.0 million; San Francisco-Atlanta), and up 8% from last year’s 47.7 million for Baltimore-New England, which aired in the late window. The 51.3 million is behind only the New York Jets-Pittsburgh AFC Championship game (1/23/11; 54.9 million; CBS).

The AFC CHAMPIONSHIP game earned a fast-national live + same-day average household rating/share of 28.1/51, which is the second highest rating for the AFC Championship game in 17 years (1/12/97; 28.5/47; Jacksonville-New England; NBC).  The 28.1/51 is behind only the New York Jets-Pittsburgh game (1/23/11; 28.3/43; CBS).

The 28.1/51 is up 16 % from the early-game window last year (24.2/45; San Francisco-Atlanta), and up 10% from last year’s 25.5/39 for Baltimore-New England, which aired in the late window).

The AFC CHAMPIONSHIP game HH rating/share peaked at a 31.5/54 with an average of 59.1 million viewers from 5:30-6:00 PM, ET.

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