1/16 – Overnights For Texans/Ravens

Though it was the least anticipated of the four Divisional Round games, Sunday’s battle between the Ravens and Texans was down only slightly from last year, and managed to tie the previous day’s Broncos/Patriots game. The Texans/Ravens AFC Divisional Round game earned a 20.6 overnight rating on CBS Sunday afternoon, down a tick from the comparable game last year (SEA/CHI: 20.7, FOX), and down 14% from the comparable game in 2010 (DAL/MIN: 23.9, FOX). The 20.6 overnight is tied as the lowest for a Sunday Divisional Round game, regardless of timeslot, since the 2001-02 season (BAL/PIT: 19.9, CBS). The Ravens’ win was the only Divisional Round game to have a decline in overnights compared to last year. Despite the decline, Sunday’s game earned the same overnight as Broncos/Patriots the previous night (20.6), a much-hyped game that some believed would set ratings records. In a rarity, both AFC games on CBS trailed the NFC games on FOX, which earned overnights of 21.7 (NO/SF) and 27.4 (NYG/GB), according to Sports Media Watch.