Though strong, ratings and viewership dropped for Sunday’s Ravens/Patriots AFC Championship Game.
The 2012 AFC Championship Game, won by the Patriots over the Ravens, earned a 27.4 fast-national rating and 48.7 million viewers on CBS Sunday afternoon — down 3% in ratings and 6% in viewership from last year’s comparable game (GB/CHI: 28.1, 51.884M, FOX), but up 4% in both measures compared to 2010 (NYJ/IND: 26.3, 46.917M, CBS).
Despite the decline, Sunday’s game ranks as the highest rated AFC Championship Game in the early window — 3 PM ET dating back to 2003; 12:30 PM ET previously — since the 1994-95 season (SD/PIT: 28.3, NBC), and the most-viewed since the 1981-82 season (SD/CIN: 51.6M, NBC).
Ratings/Viewership For Early Conference Championship Game
Past decade
| Year | Date | Conf. | Game | Net | Rating | Viewers (000) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Sun., 1/22/12 | AFC | BAL 20, NE 23 | CBS |
27.4
|
48,700
|
| 2011 | Sun., 1/23/11 | NFC | GB 21, CHI 14 | FOX |
28.1
|
51,884
|
|
2010
|
Sun., 1/24/10 | AFC | NYJ 17, IND 30 | CBS |
26.3
|
46,917
|
| 2009 | Sun., 1/18/09 | NFC | PHI 25, ARI 32 | FOX |
21.9
|
38,387
|
| 2008 | Sun., 1/20/08 | AFC | SD 12, NE 21 | CBS |
25.7
|
44,840
|
| 2007 | Sun., 1/21/07 | NFC | NO 14, CHI 39 | FOX |
25.1
|
43,247
|
| 2006 | Sun., 1/22/06 | AFC | PIT 34, DEN 17 | CBS |
23.6
|
39,001
|
| 2005 | Sun., 1/23/05 | NFC | ATL 10, PHI 27 | FOX |
25.8
|
42,937
|
| 2004 | Sun., 1/18/04 | AFC | IND 14, NE 24 | CBS |
24.7
|
40,115
|
| 2003 | Sun., 1/19/03 | NFC | TB 27, PHI 10 | FOX |
23.8
|
38,741
|
| 2002 | Sun., 1/27/02 | AFC | NE 24, PIT 17 | CBS |
21.2
|
33,313
|
(This year’s numbers from CBS Sports press release via Fang’s Bites)
