Big Ratings For Patriots-Broncos
BOSTON (AP/CBS) - The New England Patriots-Denver Broncos game on Sunday helped draw the second-best rating for a regular season game on CBS since the network acquired the AFC package in 1998.
The Patriots 41-23 win over the Broncos led to a 19.5 overnight rating and 36 share for CBS's NFL coverage Sunday. Only New England's November 2007 meeting against the Indianapolis Colts, a meeting of two undefeated teams, had a higher rating in the last 14 seasons on the network with a 22.5/39.
It was the highest overnight rating for any NFL game this season.
In Boston the game earned a 46.5 overnight rating and a 71 share, setting a new season high. The average rating of 42.65 is the third highest for a regular season game in franchise history, finishing behind the 2007 regular season finale against the New York Giants (50.1) , and December 2003's match up against Miami in a snowy Gillette Stadium (43.8).
Sunday's game will likely end up the second highest watched game locally behind the Patriots-Giants regular season finale in 2007 when New England capped off a 16-0 regular season.
Ratings represent the percentage of all homes with televisions tuned into a program. Shares represent the percentage of all homes with TVs in use at the time. Overnight ratings measure the country's largest markets.
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