What were the viewership numbers for the Seahawks' NFC Championship win?

The Seahawks' NFC Championship win against the Los Angeles Rams attracted 46 million viewers on Fox.

How did the Patriots' AFC Championship viewership compare to last year?

The Patriots' AFC title game viewership was down 15.5% from last year's comparable game, making it the least-watched AFC title game since 2022.

What factors might have contributed to the decline in NFL championship game viewership?

Factors such as Nielsen's new measurement adjustments combining Big Data + Panel numbers and including out-of-home viewing, as well as game scheduling, might have influenced viewership figures.

Home / Sports / NFL Championship Ratings Trail Last Year's Highs

NFL Championship Ratings Trail Last Year's Highs

29 Jan

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Summary

Seahawks-Rams NFC title game drew 46M viewers, a minor 4% increase.
Patriots-Broncos AFC title game viewership down 15.5% year-over-year.
Several factors may have contributed to the viewership decline.

NFL Championship Ratings Trail Last Year's Highs

The New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks have secured their spots in Super Bowl LX, but the viewership for their respective conference championship games has fallen short of last year's numbers. The Seahawks' NFC Championship win against the Los Angeles Rams drew 46 million viewers on Fox. This figure represents a minor 4% increase over the previous year's game, but with recent Nielsen measurement adjustments, the difference is likely negligible.

Nielsen has implemented new data integration methods, including Big Data + Panel numbers and out-of-home viewing, which may naturally inflate viewership statistics by 4-6%. Despite these adjustments, the Eagles' win in 2025, based on older Panel Only metrics, reported 44.2 million viewers, suggesting a potential actual decline for the Seahawks' game.

In the AFC Championship, the Patriots' victory over the Denver Broncos garnered 48.6 million viewers on CBS. While CBS framed this as a 10% increase from last year's comparable early game, this comparison is complicated by schedule changes. Compared to last year's Chiefs-Bills game, this year's AFC title game saw a 15.5% decrease in viewership, marking it as the least-watched AFC title game since 2022.