The much-hyped match-up between Tom Brady and Peyton Manning — and their teams — tied a 17-year high in the ratings on CBS.
The Patriots/Broncos AFC Championship Game earned a 28.1 final rating and 51.3 million viewers on CBS, according to Nielsen fast-nationals — up 16% in ratings and 22% in viewership from 49ers/Falcons on FOX last year (24.2, 42.0M), and up 3% and 5%, respectively, from Ravens/Patriots in 2012 (27.4, 48.7M).
Patriots/Broncos is tied with Packers/Bears in 2011 as the highest rated early conference championship game since 1997. Packers/Bears earned slightly more viewers (51.8M).
Sunday’s game also ranks as the second-highest rated AFC Championship Game since 1997, and the second-most viewed since 1982. Only the 2011 Jets/Steelers game, which aired in the evening, earned better numbers (28.3, 54.9M).
Locally, the game earned a 53.0 rating in Denver and a 43.8 in Boston. In Seattle and the Bay Area — the local markets for the NFC Championship Game — Patriots/Broncos earned local ratings of 29.6 and 29.5, respectively.
(Sun. numbers from CBS Press Express; local numbers from ShowBuzz Daily)
