New England Patriots

Patriots-Bills earns second-highest regular-season market share in franchise history

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady leaves the field, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2015, in Orchard Park, N.Y. (AP Photo/Bill Wippert

The Tom Brady Vengeance Tour 2015 makes for must-see television, and it’s drawing a bigger audience than usual.

The Patriots’ 40-32 victory over the Bills Sunday – a game in which Brady threw for 466 yards and three touchdowns — drew a 34.2 household rating and a massive 72 share in the Boston market.

The latter number, which measures the percentage of in-use televisions tuned in to the game, is the second-largest in franchise history for a non-playoff game.

The only game to earn a larger share was the regular-season finale in 2007, when the Patriots defeated the Giants to complete an undefeated regular season. That game, which was simulcast on NBC, CBS, and the NFL Network, drew a 75 share.

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Broadcasted on WBZ Channel 4, the Boston CBS affiliate, Sunday’s game was the No. 1 ranked show of the week in the market. A distant second was the Republican National Debate on CNN, which delivered a 15.1 household rating – the percentage of television-equipped households that were turned in — and a 26 share.

PHOTOS: Patriots vs. Bills in Week 2

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