The NFL’s Conference Championship game Sunday doubleheader was a bit of a mixed bag according to early ratings returns.
CBS had the afternoon window this year, and while the Chiefs-Titans matchup did feature a thrilling first half, it also featured the Titans being blown out over the course of the second half. Considering they were never going to be the ratings draw that, say, last year’s Patriots-Chiefs game did.
The early numbers bore that out, too:
AFC Championship viewership:
Sunday: Chiefs-Titans: 41.11 million viewers
2018/19: Patriots-Chiefs: 53.92 million viewers.
2017/18: Patriots-Jaguars: 44.08 million viewers.
2016/17: Steelers-Patriots: 48.0 million viewers.— Richard Deitsch (@richarddeitsch) January 20, 2020
You can see the yo-yo effect that leads to the primetime game drawing more eyes, which is natural, but the 41.11 million viewers represents one of the least flattering data points for the NFL during a year in which the ratings news has been mostly good to great.
Titans-Chiefs lowest rated AFC Championship in five years, least-watched in 11. First game of playoffs to hit a multi-year low. https://t.co/q7skfmcNgA
— Sports Media Watch (@paulsen_smw) January 20, 2020
The nightcap on FOX fared slihgtly better, although it too failed to set any new standards:
NFC Championship viewing:
Sunday: Niners-Packers: 43.58 million viewers.
2018-19: Rams-Saints: 44.08 million viewers
2017-18: Vikings-Eagles: 42.30 million viewers
2016-17: Falcons-Packers: 46.3 million viewers— Richard Deitsch (@richarddeitsch) January 20, 2020
Those totals aren’t bad, per se, in the scheme of television in 2020. As Fox PR noted, it was still the most viewed telecast since the last Super Bowl.
Sunday's NFC Championship game delivered @NFLonFOX the most-watched telecast since Super Bowl LIII. pic.twitter.com/Mz7ESAW0ga
— FOX Sports PR (@FOXSportsPR) January 20, 2020
But they’re not great relative to the trend, and certainly not world-beating by any measure. It’s another sign of how important good, competitive games are for the overall viewership; people aren’t sticking around for a blowout. Hopefully for all parties involved (including and especially viewers), the Super Bowl ends up being a closer contest.
