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CBS SPORTS AFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME RATING HIGHEST SINCE 1999
AVERAGE OF 44.3 MILLION VIEWERS TUNE IN TO WATCH NEW ENGLAND BEAT PITTSBURGH AS
MOST-WATCHED AND HIGHEST-RATED BROADCAST OF 2004-2005 SEASON
2005 AFC PLAYOFF AVERAGE UP +8% FOR SECOND HIGHEST SINCE 1999
CBS Sports' coverage of the AFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME featuring the New England Patriots at Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, Jan. 23 (6:37-9:50 PM, ET), earned an average preliminary national household rating/share of 25.8/38, up +5% from a 24.6/38 in 2003 for the comparable window (Tennessee-Oakland; 6:45-10:24 PM, ET) when the Network last had the late game, and up +4% from last year's 24.7/46 (Indianapolis-New England; 3:05-6:16 PM, ET).
Sunday's 25.8/38 represents the highest-rated AFC Championship Game since 1999's 26.6/48 (New York Jets-Denver; 4:17-7:37 PM, ET on 1/17/99) and also the second highest rating for the AFC Championship Game since the NFL returned to CBS in 1998, also behind the Jets-Broncos game.
The AFC Championship Game rating/share of 25.8/38 on CBS tied as the highest-rated broadcast for the week of January 17-23, 2005. The AFC Championship Game also tied as the highest-rated broadcast so far during the 2004-2005 season (September 20, 2004-January 23, 2005).
The AFC Championship Game on CBS had more average viewers (persons 2+) than the NFC Championship Game, with an average of 44.334 million viewers versus 42.937 million viewers, respectively. With 44.334 million viewers, the AFC Championship Game was the most-watched broadcast so far during the 2004-05 season. The 44.334 million viewers also was the highest average number of viewers for the AFC Championship Game since 45.515 million viewers watched Jacksonville @ New England (NBC; 4:08-7:28 PM on 1/12/97)
THE NFL ON CBS's overall average for the 2005 AFC Playoffs earned a national household rating/share of 20.8/37, up +8% from a 19.3/36 for the 2004 AFC Playoffs and scored 7% higher than the NFC Playoff average (19.5/36). This is the third time that the AFC has beaten the NFC Playoff average since CBS regained the NFL in 1998 (20.6/37 vs. 18.8/35 in 2003; and 18.1/38 vs. 17.7/37 in 2001).
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