Record ratings for the NFC Championship Game between the Vikings and Saints -- the game was the most-watched show on TV since 1998 (excluding Super Bowl games) -- appropriately prompted abundant reaction.Anytime an average audience of 57.9 million viewers tune in for anything, it's news.
The rating reflects the power of the NFL, the never-ending interest in Brett Favre and the wonderful New Orleans storyline. It also reflects a trend for many sporting events over the weekend.
Whether it's the economy, ticket prices, the weather or a variety of other factors, viewers certainly found an interest in sports this past weekend.
Specifically, the first PBA Tour event won by a female posted a 100 percent ratings increase over similar coverage in 2009 on ESPN. On CBS, college basketball with top-ranked Texas at UConn was up 38 percent from Arizona-UCLA last year.
Pre-Olympic news was good for NBC as well. Its coverage of the U.S. Figure Skating Championships increased 33 percent over last year.