The Pittsburgh Steelers did not win in Denver this past Sunday against the Denver Broncos in the AFC Wild Card game, but it seems that the NFL joined the Broncos as winners as NFL PR man Greg Aiello reported on Twitter today that the game between the Steelers and the Broncos was the most-watched game of the season, the most-watched Wild Card game ever with 42.4 million viewers and the most-watched TV program since Super Bowl XLV.
The high ratings were likely a combination of several things. First you had Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow making his first career playoff start and secondly you had the Steelers involved, who will always help television ratings with the size of their fan base. The game was set up as a “David versus Goliath” battle as well and I am sure that helped reach a few secular groups that can take or leave the games. The Steelers Broncos betting line closed with the Steelers favored by 7.5 points after a ton of action came in on the Broncos and/or Tebow.
The next dragon that Tebow will attempt to slay is the New England Patriots and quarterback Tom Brady. The Tebow led Broncos lost to the Patriots 41-23 back in week 15 and the ratings for that game could rival the ones from this past Sunday. We shall see.
