Joe Burrow and Tyler Shelvin of the Cincinnati Bengals celebrate the AFC Championship Game victory on Jan. 30. Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images
Football is a lot more fun to watch when your team's a winner, as Cincinnati Bengals fans proved this season.
Driving the news: Bengals ratings were up 8% during the regular season as the playoff-bound team finished 10-7, compared with 2020 when the team went 4-11-1, per Sports Business Journal.
- The Browns' TV ratings dropped 2% during a lackluster 8-9 campaign, while the Steelers ratings dropped 10% in quarterback Ben Roethlisberger's final year.
Of note: The above numbers only include viewers in the Cleveland and Cincinnati TV markets, the 20th and 27th biggest out of the NFL's 32 teams, Axios' Jeff Tracy reported.
- It does not include Columbus viewers who are usually treated to both Ohio teams' games, with notable exceptions.
Either way, Ohioans will surely be tuning in to see Athens native Joe Burrow lead the Bengals in Super Bowl LVI on Feb. 13.
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