NFL Conference Championships: NFC +20%; AFC +17%
- by Wayne Friedman , January 30, 2024
NFL TV viewing keeps rising. The NFC Championship game this past weekend on Fox featuring the San Francisco 49ers and the Detroit Lions was up 20% compared to last year's NFL game -- to 56.7 million Nielsen-measured viewers.
Viewing was also 7% higher vs. the AFC Championship a year ago, which ran in the same late-afternoon Sunday time period (with 53.1 million viewers) a year ago.
Fox says this is the best NFC Championship game result in 12 years -- and the fourth most-watched non-Super Bowl telecast event.
The early-afternoon game featuring the Kansas City Chiefs defeating the Baltimore Ravens took in 55.5 million viewers on CBS -- up 17% from 47.5 million NFC Championship in the same time period a year.
Although the AFC Championship game was the largest audience on record for an AFC Championship game, it should be noted that prior to 2020 Nielsen did not include out-of-home viewing.
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The previous record was for the New York Jets-Pittsburgh Steelers for 2011 AFC Championship, with 54.9 million viewers.
National TV ad spend from 101 airings of this year's Fox NFC game was estimated to be $86.9 million, according to EDO Ad EnGage. Biggest spenders: GMC ($5.6 million); State Farm ($4.8 million); and Taco Bell ($3.7 million).
CBS' AFC game earned $84.4 million also from 101 airings. Universal Pictures ($4.2 million), State Farm ($3.3 million), and Intuit Turbo Tax ($2.5 million) were some of the major advertisers.
I picked the 49ERS my heart was with the Lions as that is the team I root for their second ever time making it to the NFC Championship Game last time was the 1991 season. It's death, taxes, & Lions not making it to The Super Bowl. I was proud of this team which Lions fans will be talking about for years to come as this season was a success even know the loss to the 49ERS will sting I'd rather talk about the season as a whole and not on that game. Winning the division and hosting 2 playoff games at home and winning 2 in a row in the playoffs. The Lions will be making some noise more offen in the playoffs for years to come. Glad to see that Ben Johnson the Lions OC will remain OC as I thought he'd take a head coaching job with the Commanders or Seahawks. One Pride.