A near-upset of the Patriots kept AFC Championship ratings afloat in the metered markets.
Sunday’s Jaguars-Patriots AFC Championship Game earned a 27.3 overnight rating on CBS, down just a tick from Packers-Falcons on FOX in the same window last year (27.4) and down 14% from Patriots-Broncos in 2016 (31.8).
Compared to last year’s Steelers-Patriots AFC title game, which aired in the late window, overnights fell just 1% from a 27.6.
Despite the slight decline — the smallest dip of the postseason — the 27.3 is the lowest for the AFC Championship since 2015 (Colts-Patriots: 24.2) and the lowest for the early conference championship game since 2013 (49ers-Falcons: 26.1).
New England’s comeback win, which peaked at a 31.8 from 5:30-6 PM ET, delivered television’s highest overnight rating since last year’s Super Bowl. Prior to Sunday, the high water mark was 22.4 for last year’s Academy Awards.
It goes without saying that it was the highest overnight rating of the NFL season, comfortably topping the second-place mark of 24.7 for Sunday’s Vikings-Eagles nightcap. The early conference championship game has now outdrawn the late window in three of four years.
Per Sports Business Daily, Sunday’s game had a 50.1 rating in Boston — down 3% from last year’s late game (51.6). Local ratings in Jacksonville were not immediately available.
[Sun. numbers from CBS Sports PR 1.22]
