The NFC title game between the Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers got massive ratings, with nearly 56 million viewers tuning in what was the highest-rated NFC title game since 1997. Denver-New England drew the second-highest AFC title game rating since 1987.

According to Nielsen, “Sunday’s game ranks as the FOX’s highest-rated non-overtime NFC Championship Game since 1997 (30.1/58, Carolina-Green Bay), and is the most-watched non-overtime NFC Championship Game since 1995 (Dallas – San Francisco, 56.8 million viewers).”

The game boosted the Season 2 premiere of “The Following,” which “enjoyed 38 percent increase in the demo after the game” and “earned a 4.4 rating — its highest ever — in the key 18-49 demographic.”

The AFC title game between Denver and New England had 51.3 million and it was the second-highest rated AFC title game since “The Drive” game between Denver and Cleveland in 1987.