NFL Conference Title Game Overnights Down From '14; Fox Lauded For Coverage

Fox led NFL conference championship Sunday with a 29.1 overnight rating for the Seahawks’ dramatic come-from-behind win over the Packers in the NFC title game in the early window. That figure marks the first time since ’09 that the early window on Championship Sunday outrated the primetime window. Seahawks-Packers is down around 1% from CBS’ Broncos-Patriots in the early window last year, but up 11% from a 26.1 for 49ers-Falcons in ’13. The telecast projects to give Fox its most-watched telecast of any kind since last year’s Super Bowl. Milwaukee led all markets for the game with a 53.9 local rating, while Seattle-Tacoma drew a 51.9. The game opened with a 22.7 rating from 3:00-3:30pm ET, and peaked at a 34.3 in overtime from 6:15-6:30pm. The game heavily promoted the Conor McGregor-Dennis Siver UFC bout on FS1 at 10:00pm. That drew a 1.7 overnight, easily marking FS1’s best figure yet for a UFC event.

38 SPECIAL: CBS drew a 24.2 overnight for the Patriots’ 45-7 win over the Colts last night from 6:45-10:15pm, marking the lowest figure for any conference title game since ’09. Patriots-Colts outdrew both games from ’09, with Fox that year getting a 24.0 for Cardinals-Eagles in the early window and CBS getting a 23.8 for Steeler-Ravens. Last night’s game on CBS is down 22% from a 31.0 overnight for the Seahawks’ dramatic win over the 49ers in primetime last year. Patriots-Colts peaked early in the game from 8:00-8:30pm at a 27.2 rating. Boston led all markets with a 51.1 local rating, while Indianapolis drew a 47.0. Providence ranked No. 3 with a 45.6 local rating. The Patriots’ 38-point win last night marks the second-largest point differential for an AFC title game since the AFL-NFL merger. Only the Bills' 51-3 win over the Raiders in the ’91 AFC title game was a bigger blowout (Austin Karp, Assistant Managing Editor).

AFC/NFC CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP OVERNIGHT RATINGS TREND
YEAR	NET	AFTERNOON MATCHUP	RAT.	NET	PRIMETIME MATCHUP	RAT.
'15	Fox	Seahawks-Packers	29.1	CBS	Patriots-Colts	24.2
'14	CBS	Broncos-Patriots	29.5	Fox	Seahawks-49ers	31.0
'13	Fox	49ers-Falcons	26.1	CBS	Ravens-Patriots	27.9
'12	CBS	Patriots-Ravens	29.1	Fox	Giants-49ers	33.4
'11	Fox	Packers-Bears	30.0	CBS	Steelers-Jets	31.3
'10	CBS	Colts-Jets	28.4	Fox	Saints-Vikings	33.3
'09	Fox	Cardinals-Eagles	24.0	CBS	Steelers-Ravens	23.8
'08	CBS	Chargers-Patriots	27.4	Fox	Giants-Packers	31.7

A DAY TO REMEMBER FOR FOX: In N.Y., Phil Mushnick writes Seahawks-Packers "may have been Troy Aikman's best telecast, start to end, in his 12 years as Fox's lead NFL analyst." Aikman has never been "more alert, more eager to get ahead of the play ... more willing to succinctly share what he was thinking." Fox all around "had a strong game." Different angles of Packers LB Clay Matthews' second-quarter hit on Seahawks QB Russell Wilson following an interception "came quickly," and the net "closely followed the arm injuries" to Seattle S Earl Thomas and CB Richard Sherman (N.Y. POST, 1/19). Also in N.Y., Bob Raissman writes Fox yesterday "succeeded without overdoing it," as both Aikman and play-by-play announcer Joe Buck "were concise and insightful." Fox' camera crews "magnified every moment," including a shot of Packers TE Brandon Bostick "sitting on the bench with his chin in his chest" after muffing an onside kick recovery late in the fourth quarter. Meanwhile, Fox' Chris Myers "gave a clinic" on interviewing a losing coach following a game. Myers' questions to Packers coach Mike McCarthy "were direct and substantive," and McCarthy "answered from the heart" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 1/19). SI.com's Richard Deitsch wrote Fox' production quality "was very high." A highlight was the decision by Fox director Rich Russo at the end of the game "to flip quickly to an overhead camera" above Wilson so viewers "could get a real sense of just how crazy the postgame scene was" near the QB (SI.com, 1/18).

WHAT A DIFFERENCE A YEAR MAKES: In Seattle, Stephen Cohen noted Fox' Erin Andrews after last year's NFC Championship game "made national news after Sherman went on an emotional tirade" during an interview. It was Wilson this year who showed "some emotion, albeit of an entirely different sort," as he "broke down in tears while discussing his team's incredible come-from-behind victory" (SEATTLEPI.con, 1/18). However, the N.Y. TIMES' Richard Sandomir tweeted, "In a game where Russell Wilson threw FOUR INTs and the game winning TD, Fox's Erin Andrews asked about neither fact." The South Florida SUN-SENTINEL's Gregory Lee Jr. tweeted, "With all of that emotion, Erin Andrews did not ask a real question. Shakes head. Wish Pam Oliver had this as her going away game."

FATHER STILL KNOWS BEST: In Tampa, Tom Jones writes the "smartest interview" of the weekend was NFL Network's Andrea Kremer talking to Tom Brady Sr., the father of the Patriots QB. Brady said that he was "devastated that his son went to college at Michigan instead of Cal, 35 miles from where Brady grew up." However, the "best line was the most truthful, too, when Kremer asked Brady's dad if he believed his son could someday be released by the Patriots." Brady Sr.: "There are no sacred cows in the NFL. If Bill Belichick doesn't want him anymore, then Bill Belichick will get rid of him" (TAMPA BAY TIMES, 1/19).

GETTING TO THE BOTTOM OF THINGS: GRANTLAND's Bill Simmons noted Al Michaels will soon be a guest on his "B.S. Report" podcast and he will "getting the real story" about how the NBC announcer addressed the Mueller Report and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell during the Patriots-Ravens AFC Divisional playoff game. Simmons: "Maybe they didn't have time to read the whole Mueller Report. Maybe they were told to do that. ... But to briskly read through the 'highlights' of Goodell's 'exoneration' from the Mueller Report without mentioning all the different ways that same report made him look ... or mentioning that the report specifically said that Goodell didn't tell the truth in his September 10 memo to the 32 teams ... I mean, come on" (GRANTLAND.com, 1/16).