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Head-to-head, Patriots-Chiefs beats ALCS Game 2 in television ratings

Shalise Manza Young
·Columnist

Sports fans had a choice on Sunday night: watch the American League Championship Series Game 2 between the Boston Red Sox and defending World Series champion Houston Astros? Or watch a primetime matchup pitting the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs and their young star quarterback Patrick Mahomes against the old-guard New England Patriots and their aging (but still amazing) star, Tom Brady?

It was an even tougher choice for fans of the Patriots and Red Sox – though it’s entirely possible to have screens side-by-side to watch both – and the numbers are in.

NFL draws huge ratings

The Sunday Night Football matchup on NBC, which saw the Patriots pull off a last-second 43-40 win, earned a 14.6 rating nationally via the Boston Globe, peaking at 16.2 from 11-11:30 p.m. ET, or the final moments of the thrilling finish.

The New England Patriots’ 43-40 win over the Kansas City Chiefs drew huge ratings, even though it went head-to-head with the American League Championship series. (AP)
The New England Patriots’ 43-40 win over the Kansas City Chiefs drew huge ratings, even though it went head-to-head with the American League Championship series. (AP)

It was the highest-rated Sunday Night game since Week 1 of the 2017 season, and represents a 34 percent increase in viewership over the Week 6 game last year, which was New York Giants vs. Denver Broncos.

The ALCS, which had higher stakes than a regular-season NFL game, had a 4.1 rating nationally, peaking at a 5.0 from 9:45-10 p.m. ET.

While it is a pretty big disparity, keep in mind too that Sunday Night Football is over-the-air on NBC, while the ALCS is on TBS, which is cable.

Nearly everyone in Boston was watching Patriots or Sox

More surprising, at least for someone who grew up in New England and remembers the days of the Patriots being perennial also-rans in terms of interest, the Patriots game significantly outdrew the Red Sox in the Boston market.

The two games combined for a 54.9 rating and an amazing 81 share, meaning 81 percent of all televisions in Boston were watching one of the two games. The other 19 percent? Your guess is as good as ours.

The Patriots had a 51 share and 34.3 rating in market, while the Red Sox’ 7-5 win drew a 20.6 rating and 30 share.

In Kansas City, the Chiefs-Patriots game was even bigger: it drew a 49.6 rating and 67 share.

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