More viewers watched Sunday night’s Jets/Steelers matchup than any other previous AFC Championship Game.
The Steelers’ win over the Jets in the 2011 AFC Championship Game earned a 28.3 fast-national rating and 54.850 million viewers on CBS, the network announced in a press release
This marks a decline of 8% in ratings and 5% in viewership compared to last year’s late window (MIN/NO: 30.6, 57.933 mil, FOX), but an increase of 29% and 35%, respectively, from 2009 (BAL/PIT: 22.0, 40.645 mil, CBS).
Though down from last year, Sunday’s game ranks as the most-viewed AFC Championship Game ever, topping the previous high set in the 1981-82 season (SD/CIN: 51.620 mil, NBC).
Excluding the Super Bowl, Jets/Steelers is one of only four NFL telecasts over the past ten seasons draw at least 50 million viewers.
Additionally, the 28.3 rating is the highest for the AFC Championship Game since the 1996-97 season (JAX/NE: 28.5, NBC). Going back further, the 28.3 is tied as the fifth-highest since the 1985-86 season, the last time the AFC title game topped a 30.0 rating (NE/MIA: 32.4, NBC).
Ratings and viewership peaked from 9-9:30 PM, with a 29.9 and 56.609 million viewers. That is actually lower than the peak half-hour for the NFC title game on FOX earlier in the day (5:30-6 PM: 31.5, 59.5 mil).
(CBS press release from TV By The Numbers)
