(Ed. Note: This report is straight from the NFL)
CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME MOST WATCHED IN 13 YEARS
GIANTS-PACKERS MOST-WATCHED NON-SUPER BOWL TELECAST
SINCE "SEINFELD" FINALE IN 1998
AVERAGE OF 49.7 MILLION FANS WATCHED EACH GAME
VIEWERSHIP UP 10 PERCENT FROM 2006
Football fans across America continue to tune in to NFL games, resulting in the most watched Conference Championship weekend in 13 years. An average of 49.7 million fans watched NFL games last weekend, the most for an NFL Conference Championship weekend since January 1995 (game-by-game comparison below) and a 10 percent increase from last season (45.0 million viewers).
The New York Giants-Green Bay Packers NFC Championship Game on FOX drew 53.9 million viewers to rank as the most watched non-Super Bowl program on television since the series finale of Seinfeld 10 years ago (76.3 million on May 14, 1998).
The NFC Championship Game posted a 15 percent viewership increase over last year's AFC Championship Game, which was also played at 6:30 PM ET. The San Diego Chargers-New England Patriots AFC Championship Game on CBS drew 44.8 million viewers, a three percent increase over last year's NFC Championship Game, also played at 3:00 PM ET.
Following is a comparison of this past weekend and the 1994 NFL Conference Championship Games:
2007 NFL Conference Championship Games
|
Date & Time |
Network (Game) |
Viewers |
|
Jan. 20, 2008 -- 3:00 PM ET |
CBS (Chargers at Patriots) |
44.8 million |
|
Jan. 20, 2008 – 6:30 PM ET |
FOX (Giants at Packers) |
53.9 million |
|
CHAMPIONSHIP WEEKEND |
AVERAGE |
49.7 million |
1994 NFL Conference Championship Games
|
Date & Time |
Network (Game) |
Viewers |
|
Jan. 15, 1995 -- 12:30 PM ET |
NBC (Chargers at Steelers) |
41.9 million |
|
Jan. 15, 1995 – 4:00 PM ET |
FOX (Cowboys at 49ers) |
56.8 million |
|
CHAMPIONSHIP WEEKEND |
AVERAGE |
49.9 million |
Source: NFL & Nielsen Media Research
