JETS-STEELERS MOST-WATCHED AFC CHAMPIONSHIP EVER - AVERAGE OF 53.4 MILLION VIEWERS WATCHED EACH GAME
Football fans across America continue to tune in to NFL games, resulting in the most-watched conference championship Sunday in 29 years. An average of 53.4 million viewers watched NFL games last weekend, the most for an NFL conference championship Sunday since January 1982 (game-by-game comparison below).
The New York Jets-Pittsburgh Steelers AFC Championship Game on CBS drew 54.8 million viewers ranking as the most watched AFC championship ever. The Green Bay Packers-Chicago Bears matchup on FOX drew 51.9 million viewers to rank as the third NFC Championship Game in four years to average more than 50 million viewers.
2010 NFL Conference Championship Games
Date Network (Game)Viewers
Jan. 23, 2011 FOX (Packers at Bears) 51.9 million
Jan. 23, 2011 CBS (Jets at Steelers)54.8 million
CHAMPIONSHIP WEEKEND AVERAGE: 53.4 million
1981 NFL Conference Championship Games
Date / Network (Game) / Viewers
Jan. 10, 1982 NBC (Chargers at Bengals) 51.6 million
Jan. 10, 1982 CBS (Cowboys at 49ers) 68.7 million
CHAMPIONSHIP WEEKEND AVERAGE: 60.2 million