By David Bauder, Media Writer
NEW YORK (AP) --There’s nothing like two overtime games in the NFL conference championships to keep television viewers glued to their recliners.
The New England Patriots’ thrilling victory over the Kansas City Chiefs was seen by 53.92 million viewers on Sunday, the Nielsen company said. That’s up 22 percent from the Patriots’ victory over Jacksonville last year, and the most watched AFC championship since 2011.
Sunday’s afternoon game, where the Los Angeles Rams beat the New Orleans Saints with the help of a referee’s bad call, was seen by 44.2 million people, Nielsen said. That’s up 4 percent over last year’s contest between Philadelphia and Minnesota.
Frigid temperatures throughout most of the country in the middle of a holiday weekend no doubt helped television attendance.
The NFL says ratings for all of its playoff games are up 12 percent over last year’s post-season. There’s a strong chance Sunday night’s game will be the year’s second most-watched television event, after the Super Bowl in two weeks.
With the AFC championship on Sunday night, CBS cruised to a dominant weekly victory in the prime-time ratings, averaging 14.2 million viewers. NBC averaged 5 million viewers in prime-time, ABC had 4.1 million, Fox had 3.2 million, Univision had 1.4 million, ION Television had 1.3 million, Telemundo had 1.2 million and the CW had 1 million.
Fox News Channel was the week’s most popular cable network, averaging 2.19 million viewers in prime-time. MSNBC had 2.01 million, Hallmark had 1.36 million, HGTV had 1.23 million and USA had 1.22 million.
ABC’s “World News Tonight” topped the evening newscasts with an average of 9.8 million viewers. NBC’s “Nightly News” was second with 8.9 million and the “CBS Evening News” had 6.9 million.
Below are primetime viewership numbers compiled by Nielsen for Jan. 14-20. Listings include the week’s ranking and viewership.
1. AFC Championship: New England vs. Kansas City, CBS, 53.92 million.
2. “AFC Championship Post Game,” CBS, 24.34 million.
3. “The Big Bang Theory,” CBS, 13.33 million.
4. “NCIS,” CBS, 12.22 million.
5. “Young Sheldon,” CBS, 11.46 million.
6. “AGT Champions,” NBC, 9.99 million.
7. “FBI,” CBS, 9.34 million.
8. “Magnum, P.I.,” CBS, 8.76 million.
9. “Chicago Med,” NBC, 8.51 million.
10. “Mom,” CBS, 8.46 million.
11. “Chicago Fire,” CBS, 8.03 million.
12. “This is Us,” NBC, 7.75 million.
13. “Hawaii Five-0,” CBS, 7.62 million.
14. “NCIS: New Orleans,” CBS, 7.29 million.
15. “Chicago PD,” NBC, 7.26 million.
16. “Bull,” CBS, 7.09 million.
17. “Grey’s Anatomy,” ABC, 7.08 million.
18. “The Masked Singer,” Fox, 6.95 million.
19. “MacGyver,” CBS, 6.9 million.
20. “The Neighborhood,” CBS, 6.83 million.
ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Co.; CBS is a division of CBS Corp.; Fox is owned by 21st Century Fox; NBC is owned by NBC Universal.
“Dune: Part Two” and “House of the Dragon” Win 2 HPA Awards Apiece
Dune: Part Two and House of the Dragon each scored two HPA Awards during a gala ceremony at the Television Academy’s Wolf Theatre in North Hollywood, Calif. on Thursday night (11/7). The HPA Awards honor trailblazing talent in the postproduction industry, celebrating standout achievements in color grading, sound, editing, restoration, and visual effects across theatrical features, commercials, and episodics.
Dune: Part Two topped the Outstanding Color Grading--Live Action Theatrical Feature and the Outstanding Sound--Theatrical Feature categories.
House of the Dragon’s two wins were for “The Red Dragon and the Gold” episode which scored for Outstanding Visual Effects--Live Action Episode or Series Season, and Outstanding Editing--Episode or Non-Theatrical Feature (Over 30 Minutes). In the latter HPA Creative Category, House of the Dragon tied with the “Part Six: Far,l Far Away” episode of Ahsoka.
The HPA’s Judges Award for Creativity and Innovation honored Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour. This recognition celebrates the profound impact on both live and filmed entertainment that defined The Eras Tour, underscoring its exceptional impact on audiences and the industry. The jury issued a statement outlining their choice: “Celebrated as the cultural phenomenon of 2023, Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour set new records in box office sales, tour revenues, and attendance. The tour showcased exceptional artistry and innovation, making a profound impact on both live and filmed entertainment.”
This year, FotoKem was awarded the Charles S. Swartz Award for its role in supporting filmmakers, studios, cinematographers, and artists across diverse film and media landscapes. Also celebrated... Read More