Ratings dip to 18.6M for Golden Globes despite NFL lead-in

Jim Beach, from left, Roger Taylor, Brian May, Rami Malek and Graham King pose in the press room at the 76th annual Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Sunday, Jan. 6, 2019, in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)

NEW YORK (AP) — Preliminary figures from Nielsen show that Sunday night's Golden Globes were watched by 18.6 million viewers, a slight drop from the 19.1 million that tuned in last year.

The NBC broadcast dipped despite an enviable lead-in from the nail-biter NFL Wild Card game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Chicago Bears. This year's nominees also featured a number of hit films, including "Black Panther" and "A Star Is Born." The night's best drama picture winner, "Bohemian Rhapsody," has made $743.1 million worldwide.

Hosted by Sandra Oh and Andy Samberg, the 76th Globes at least stopped recent dramatic ratings skids for awards shows like the Oscars and Grammys. Last year's Globes fell 5 percent and 11 percent among those aged 18-49. This time, viewership in that key demographic increased four percent.