Big night for Grammys, continued success for pro football helps drive ratings up

Grammy Awards, pro football are ratings winners

NEW YORK — The ratings are no worse for the wear even though Americans had to choose between music and football.

The Grammy Awards on CBS and the NFL Pro Bowl game on ESPN went head-to-head on Sunday night, with each a notable success story.

The Nielsen Co. said Tuesday that the Grammys were seen by just under 26 million people. That’s way up from the 17.1 million who watched the show two years ago, and even eclipsed “American Idol.” The show was stocked with performances from music’s top acts.

Meanwhile, the Pro Bowl game was seen by 12.3 million people. That’s the all-star game’s biggest audience in a decade.

And it follows a trend that’s been evident all season — pro football ratings are way up.