Chiefs-Steelers game drew record TV rating for NBC
The Great Ice Storm of 2017 may change life forever.
Well, at least for NFL fans. The decision to move the Chiefs’ AFC Divisional playoff game against the Pittsburgh Steelers to a night kickoff to avoid an expected ice storm resulted in a ratings winner for NBC.
The network said the 21.9 rating and 34 share for the game was best prime-time overnight for an NFL Wild Card or Divisional playoff game. It was up 8 percent from NBC’s prime-time Divisional playoff game between the Packers and Cardinals on a Saturday last year.
In Kansas City, the ratings were 55.2/72. That means 55.2 percent of the eligible KC market was watching the game, which the Steelers won 18-16. And of the people who were watching TV on Sunday night, 72 percent tuned in to the game.
The Pittsburgh market was the No. 1 in ratings for the game (57.1/76), followed by Kansas City, Denver (28.5/46), Norfolk, Va. (27.8/40), Richmond, Va. (27.1/39), Dayton, Ohio (26.6/38), New Orleans (26.4/37), Baltimore (26.2/40), Phoenix (26.1/40) and Las Vegas (25.2/39).
Given the success of the ratings, some have wondered if a Sunday night Divisional playoff game may become a permanent thing.
Pete Grathoff: 816-234-4330, @pgrathoff
This story was originally published January 16, 2017 at 12:12 PM with the headline "Chiefs-Steelers game drew record TV rating for NBC."