The AFC Championship Game between Tom Brady’s New England Patriots and Peyton Manning’s Denver Broncos was watched by the majority of the Central Florida community.
The Broncos’ 20-18 win over the Patriots on CBS topped the viewers in Orlando with 677,509 according to Nielsen. That made it the most watched NFL game in Orlando this season and most watched television program since last year’s Super Bowl.
To put those numbers in perspective it crushes all other major sporting event championship games. Keep in mind those numbers do not include people that watched the game at sports bars like many did at Harry Buffalo in Downtown Orlando, which was packed with people standing watching the game. Also keep in mind that according to Nielsen, Orlando which is a top-20 TV Market, about 1.5 million people have TVs. In other words about 45 percent of Central Florida watched the game not counting people that watched at sports bars.
The two most watched NFL games this season in Orlando market involved Peyton Manning as the AFC Championship Game blew past last week’s Broncos win over the Pittsburgh Steelers as the most watched NFL game this season.
The NFC Championship Game between the Arizona Cardinals and Carolina Panthers was a distant second in Orlando in most viewed television program. The Panthers’ dominating win over the Cardinals garnered 472,268 viewers which makes it the third most watched NFL game this season.
Fans also like watching football postgame shows as the AFC Championship Game postgame drew 334,750 viewers while the NFC Championship Game postgame pulled in 263,917 viewers. Rounding out the top five television programs for Sunday was the The X-Files revivial on FOX following the NFC Championship Game. It brought in 179,809 viewers.
Orlando was not alone in the interest for the AFC Championship Game as the Patriots-Broncos game nationally was the highest rated AFC Championship game in 29 years with a 31.8 overnight rating, which was slightly behind the 1987 AFC Championship Game between the Denver Broncos and Cleveland Browns won by the Broncos in overtime in a game remembered by “The Drive“ led by John Elway.
[…] is involved in the two most watched NFL games of Orlando this season with the AFC Championship game win over the Patriots being number one. The Broncos’ win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC Divisional playoff game is […]