The AFC Wild Card Playoff game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Denver Broncos was not only the best game of the weekend, but it was also the most watched. In the Sunday 4:30 p.m. ET window and going into overtime, the game saw an amazing 24.0 rating with a 42 share. That’s up 40% from CBS’ airing of Baltimore-Kansas City in the Sunday 1 p.m. window last year. Comparing it to the Green Bay-Philadelphia game on Fox in the same Sunday 4:30 p.m. window from 2011, CBS still comes off quite well. Packers-Eagles last year received a 22.1/37.
CBS says Sunday’s game was the most watched Wild Card game dating back to 1994 when Kansas City-Miami aired on ABC.
Average viewership was an astounding 42.3 million and increased to over 54 million as Denver won the game in overtime. The CBS press release.
“THE NFL ON CBS’s” PITTSBURGH-DENVER GAME IS MOST-WATCHED WILD CARD GAME IN 24 YEARS AND HIGHEST RATED IN 18 YEARS
Game Averages 42.371 Million Viewers and Earns Rating/Share of 24.0/40
THE NFL ON CBS’s broadcast of the AFC Wild Card game featuring the Denver Broncos defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers in overtime on Sunday, Jan. 8 (4:41-8:13 PM, ET) averaged 42.371 million viewers (Persons 2+), a 49% increase over 2011’s 28.384 million viewers, and was the most-watched Wild Card game on any network in 24 years (as far back as CBS records go).
CBS Sports’ coverage of the AFC Wild Card game scored an average national live + same day HH rating/share of 24.0/40, up 40% from last year’s 17.1/35 for Baltimore at Kansas City. The game is the highest-rated Wild Card game on any network in 18 years (24.1/48; Kansas City-Miami; 12/31/1994; ABC).
The Pittsburgh-Denver game peaked with an average of 54.346 million viewers and a rating/share of 29.7/44 (8:00-8:13 PM, ET).
And I’ll have more throughout the day.
