AFC Championship Ranks As Second Highest in Viewers for

2007-08 Television Season-To-Date

Patriots-Chargers Rating Up 2% from Last Year's Comparable Window

CBS Sports' coverage of the 2008 AFC Championship Game featuring the undefeated New England Patriots defeating the San Diego Chargers on Sunday, Jan. 20, was seen by an average of 44.8 million viewers (Persons 2+), up 3% from last year's 43.3 million viewers in the comparable early-game window which saw Chicago upend New Orleans in the NFC Championship.

This year's 44.8 million viewers for the AFC Championship is the second-highest number of viewers for a program-to-date in the 2007-08 television season.  

THE NFL ON CBS's coverage of the 2008 AFC Championship Game earned a fast national average household rating/share of 25.7/46, up 2% from a 25.1/45 in the comparable early-game window last year for Chicago-New Orleans.  THE NFL ON CBS's coverage was down only 3% compared to its late-game broadcast of last year's AFC Championship Game which saw Indianapolis beat New England (26.4/38).

Sunday's AFC Championship Game on CBS is the second-highest rated program-to-date in the 2007-08 television season.

The AFC Championship Game rating peaked at a 28.9/49 from 5:30-6:00 PM, ET.

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THE NFL ON CBS's overall coverage of the 2007-08 NFL regular-season and post-season averaged 18.7 million viewers (Persons 2+), up 5% from last season's average of 17.8 million viewers.  This year's 18.7 million viewers is the highest average number of viewers for the AFC package since 1994 (19.4 million on NBC).