Getty ImagesSunday’s overtime classic in Denver got the best television ratings of any wild-card playoff game since the days when Bill Cosby ruled the airwaves.
The Steelers-Broncos game got a 25.9 household rating/43 share, which Variety reports was the highest-rated opening-round contest of the NFL playoffs since 1988.
The last time a wild-card game got that high a rating was January 3, 1988, when a Seahawks-Oilers game drew a 26.7 rating on NBC. That game also went into overtime, and took place in an age when most people didn’t have cable and there weren’t a lot of options for people sitting at home watching TV. The Cosby Show was the highest-rated TV program that season, with a 28.35 rating; these days no regular program averages close to a 25.9 rating. So Sunday night’s Steelers-Broncos rating was far more impressive given the overall television environment than the rating that even the biggest wild-card games of the 1980s could draw.
Estimates are that by the end of the game, when Tim Tebow threw his game-winning touchdown pass, upwards of 45 million people were watching.
Channel Finder
with good reason too. great game.
Tebow and the Broncos are a lot more fun to watch than Bill Cosby ever was or ever will be. I never did get Cosby’s popularity.
And we were all treated to a pretty good nail biter of a game! Again, congrats to the Broncs and LET’S GO STEELERS next year.
It’s all because of Tim Tebow. No other reason. Just Tim Tebow.
We’ll probably be “blessed” with at least 6 Broncos primetime games next season.
#makeitstop
How did the effin’ ball land on the 20 so perfectly?
.
All 45 million wondering why Pittsburgh had no one covering the middle of the field.
.
cosby>tebow
Tonights BCS Championship game will probably draw in the high teens (Last year was a 15.5).
Translation…the NFL is KING!
That was change next week when Jesus takes on God.
Seahawks – Oilers?? What was so great about that game to get such a high rating?
Bet the game would have had even higher ratings if it had been an 8 p.m. start like the Saturday late game. Don’t know why they start the Sunday games so early.
Hope next week’s games are as competitive as this one. The other three were duds, although the Lions stayed in it until the fourth and the Giants gave us a great running game.
Pittsburgh has a huge fan base + the Tenow phenomenon + the only NFL game on= great ratings. Although the love ‘wm or hate ‘em Cowboys vs. Tebow probably would have been larger.
How did the jets game do?
You guys are so in the bag for NBC. If I want to know what network had the record for market share in 1988, at least give CBS their due for being the network to beat it.
All 11 Pittsburgh defenders were within 4 yards of the LOS on that final play.
Wouldn’t Tomlin WANT to force Tebow into manufacturing a long drive?
Instead, one play, 80 yards.
Clearly convinced Denver would be conservative in OT and as a result, they’re going home.
What a game; the best game of the weekend by far. Shocking game really, still shocked…
Go do it to Brady & Co on the road! Never know what the Donks will do, so don’t count them out just yet…
not counted in the ratings…
God was watching!
Stadium Hotdog $5
Stadium Beer $9
…45 million people watching the Steelers get Tebow’d, priceless
Oh geez, this is all Colin Cowherd could talk about today – the TV ratings for this game. Of course, thats pretty much all he talks about. By that measure, it MUST have been the Greatest Game Ever Played.
Pittsburgh got Tebowed….ATL is down with JPP….good weekend for football. What about Denver being a 13.5 point dog and Giants being an 8.5 point dog this upcoming weekend. I think the Texans are big underdogs against Baltimore, too. Any given Sunday folks!
And I was part of that 25.9 household raiting
The reason the Cosby show was so popular was because young black kids like me growing up saw that we could be something great in society not based on our skin tone but because of who we were.
It was a hilarious show and it was a great example for young black youth.
Then the early ninetys came along and brought us gangster rap. Cosby’s vision was destroyed.
The NFL needs to cut Tebow a check for those ratings. He is directly responsible
Most people DID have cable in 1988, it wasn’t the dark ages!
btw – has anyone anywhere seen or heard from steelersownyou?
you can be sure he will be back if the Ravens lose to Houston or the Pats. That is what cowards do afterall.
45 million people watching…and all of a sudden, drama/comedy/reality prime time ratings is looking like nothing near NFL games.
Face it, America loves Conservative White guys!! America IS a majority Conservative Country, not a radical left wing banana republic………..yet
TV rating are always high when the Steelers play and then with all the fuss ESPN has made about Tebow it had to be a good night.
.
@ampats
” how’d the Jets do” ?
Won again ….that’s 3 Super Bowls this week. All led by Mark “chihuahua eyes” Sanchez.
.
All 45 million werent watching. I got up to take a piss and missed all of overtime
So in the bag for NBC? U do realize that this is NBC sportstalk, right?
daveyjones1 says: Jan 9, 2012 1:38 PM
Pittsburgh got Tebowed….ATL is down with JPP….good weekend for football. What about Denver being a 13.5 point dog and Giants being an 8.5 point dog this upcoming weekend. I think the Texans are big underdogs against Baltimore, too. Any given Sunday folks!
******
Saints -3.5 Ravens -7.5
ravenator, how many times have you peed your pants because the Steelers lost yesterday and the Ravens won’t have to play them again this season? As many times as you have posted on Steeler stories since the game yesterday? You need some Depends, dude.
Oh burn, let me go get my britches. Have fun watching the ravens in Indy.
31.6 rating
316 passing yards
John 3:16
….just sayin’
because god was watching the sinner and the saint. ha
So… 45-million people now realize that Ron Winter is a crooked official.
And he will be back next year.
This has been going on for years.
ravenator …
You are counting your chickens before they’re hatched. Tebow says that’s not too smart
wicky888 | Jan 9, 2012, 11:08 ‘ PST
All 45 million werent watching. I got up to take a piss and missed all of overtime
—————-
I laughed so much at this comment it made it worthwhile to read all the comments, tnx soooo much from an old Oregonian!!!!!