The Patriots Were Must-See TV in 2014

Tom Brady and Peyton Manning met twice in 2014, and both games drew massive TV ratings. The Boston Globe

By Jack Andrade

January 8, 2015

1 minute to read

Patriots games drew 4 of the 16 highest TV ratings among all sporting events in 2014, according to data released by sportsmediawatch.com.

The Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks were the only other sports teams to appear in 4 of the top 16 rated events. The NFL drew 24 of the 26 highest ratings over the course of the year, with the Super Bowl running away with the top spot despite a lopsided blowout.

Of the Top 50 most watched sports programs, 37 were NFL games. The Olympics and the World Cup combined for 11 of the Top 50 ratings, with the BCS National Championship Game and Game 7 of the World Series also cracking the Top 50.

The Patriots vs. Broncos AFC Championship Game drew a 28.1 rating and 51.3 million viewers, the 3rd-highest rated sporting event of the year. The Colts vs. Patriots Divisional Playoff Game was the 9th-highest rated sporting event of the year, drawing a 17.8 rating and 31.69 million viewers.

A pair of regular season Patriots games also cracked the Top 16. The Week 13 game between the Patriots and Packers drew 30.88 million viewers and a 17.6 rating, and the Broncos vs. Patriots game in Week 9 drew a 16.8 rating and 29.09 million viewers.