FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – During one of the most unforgettable days in recent history for Boston sports fans, Tom Brady and the Patriots rallied for a thrilling 30-27 victory over the New Orleans Saints on Sunday to improve to 5-1 on the season. FOX's 4:25 p.m. broadcast of the rousing win was the most-watched Patriots game of the 2013 season as well as the top broadcast for the week of Oct. 7 in the Boston market. Immediately following the victory, FOX aired another heart-stopping comeback as the Boston Red Sox overcame a four-run deficit to defeat the Detroit Tigers 6-5 in Game 2 of the American League Championship Series.
The Patriots kicked off the day in a big way, as FOX's telecast of the Patriots comeback drew a 35.1 household rating in the Boston area. An average of 1.3 million total viewers in the Boston market tuned in to to watch Tom Brady throw a 17-yard touchdown pass to Kenbrell Thompkins with five seconds remaining to give the Patriots the victory.
It is the sixth time in as many weeks that a Patriots telecast has topped the weekly ratings in the Boston market. FOX's NFL post-game show, "The OT," finished second in the ratings with a 24.2 household rating, while Games 1 and 2 of the ALCS between the Red Sox and Tigers came in at third and fourth with a 21.8 rating and a 20.6 rating, respectively. Viewers who kept the dial on FOX after the Patriots game on Sunday were treated to the second come-from-behind win in a matter of hours, as the Red Sox earned a stunning win with a walk-off single in Game 2 of the ALCS.
In the midst of an exciting day of NFL football and MLB playoffs, New England's come-from-behind win drew an average share of 62, meaning that an average of 62 percent of televisions in the Boston market were tuned in to Patriots vs. Saints on Sunday afternoon.
The Patriots now own a 5-1 record through six games and will look to build on that next Sunday when they travel to New York to take on the Jets in an AFC East divisional matchup. The game will be broadcast regionally on CBS and locally in the Boston market on WBZ at 1 p.m., with Greg Gumbel on play-by-play and Dan Dierdorf providing color analysis.
BOSTON MARKET TELEVISON RATINGS, WEEK OF OCT. 7
|
Rank |
Channel |
Date |
Time |
Program |
HH Rating |
Share |
|
1 |
WFXT |
10/13/13 |
4:30P - 7:45P |
Patriots vs. Saints |
35.1 |
62 |
|
2 |
WFXT |
10/13/13 |
7:45P - 8:00P |
NFL on FOX – The OT |
24.2 |
38 |
|
3 |
WFXT |
10/12/13 |
8:00P - 12:15P |
ALCS Game 1 |
21.8 |
42 |
|
4 |
WFXT |
10/13/13 |
8:15P - 11:45P |
ALCS Game 2 |
20.6 |
36 |
|
5 |
WFXT |
10/13/13 |
8:00P - 8:15P |
ALCS G2 Pregame |
20.4 |
32 |
Source: Nielsen, 2003 Live Data, 2010 to present Live+SD
