As the NFL playoffs reach the semifinals, the big winner so far is local broadcast television.

Viewers prefer to watch the games on broadcast TV over cable, according to an analysis of ratings from Nielsen data conducted by the local broadcast nonprofit trade association TVB.

For instance, for playoff games that air on both ABC and ESPN, ABC’s national household rating of 14.8 is 4 times higher than ESPN’s 3.7 rating.

“Game after game and season after season, ratings data confirms that local broadcast television remains the preferred outlet for NFL viewership,” said Steve Lanzano, TVB president and CEO.

The national male 25-54 rating for ABC was 12.1, compared with ESPN’s 3.1 average.

Read more at broadcastingcable.com.