FOXBOROUGH, Mass. –With a 35-14 victory over the Tennessee Titans in the AFC Divisional Playoff game on Saturday night, the New England Patriots advanced to the AFC Championship game for the seventh consecutive year, extending their own NFL record. The win also marked the Patriots' seventh consecutive postseason advancement, setting a new NFL record, which resonated with the local audience and delivered the highest household rating of the 2017 campaign.
Saturday night's broadcast captured a local household rating of 43.5 and marked a 3.1 percent increase over last year's AFC Divisional win over the Houston Texans. Ratings peaked at 9:30 p.m. with a household rating of 47 and 69 market share. In total viewers, the game averaged 1,916,700 viewers. In comparison, NESN's 7 p.m. matchup between the Bruins and Canadiens delivered a 1.4 rating and market share of 2, averaging 52,500 viewers.
The NFL also continued its dominance in the market, as programs bookending the NFL Divisional Playoffs registered the top five local household ratings on Saturday.
The Patriots will make their 14th appearance in the AFC Championship game next Sunday, facing the Jacksonville Jaguars at Gillette Stadium, with the winner advancing to Super Bowl LII. The 3:05 p.m. ET kickoff will be televised locally on WBZ with Jim Nantz calling the play-by-play, Tony Romo handling color commentary and sideline reports from Tracy Wolfson and Jay Feely.
HIGHEST RATED LOCAL PROGRAMMING ON SATURDAY
| game | network | time | rating | share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Titans at Patriots | **CBS** | **8:15 pm** | **43.5** | **67** |
| Falcons at Eagles | NBC | 4:35 pm | 19.3 | 36 |
| Patriots 5th Quarter | CBS | 11:45 pm | 12.5 | 34 |
| NBC Postgame | NBC | 7:45 pm | 12.4 | 20 |
| NFL Today | CBS | 7:30 pm | 11.4 | 19 |
