AFC FINALE: BEST RATINGS SINCE 1987

Sunday’s AFC championship game on CBS in which the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the New York Jets averaged 48.43 million viewers, peaking in the second half hour with 52.3 million — making it the highest-rated AFC final-game telecast in 24 years. But by the time the fourth quarter came around, the number of viewers had slipped to 43.3 million. Despite an exciting finish, many in the primetime audience were all footballed out by the end of the game, after spending most of the day in front of their TV sets beginning in the afternoon with the NFC Championship game featuring the Chicago Bears and the Green Bay Packers. Ratings figures for that game are due to be released later today (Monday).