1958 NFL Championship Game

1958 NFL Championship Game
DateDecember 28, 1958
StadiumYankee Stadium
The Bronx, New York City
MVPJohnny Unitas (Quarterback; Baltimore)
FavoriteColts by 3½ points
RefereeRon Gibbs
Attendance64,185
TV in the United States
NetworkNBC
AnnouncersChris Schenkel, Chuck Thompson
Radio in the United States
NetworkNBC (national)
WBAL (Colts)
WCBS (Giants)
AnnouncersJoe Boland, Bill McColgan (NBC)
Bob Wolff, Bailey Goss (WBAL)
Les Keiter, Bob Cook (WCBS)
Yankee 
Stadium
Location in the United States

The 1958 NFL Championship Game was the 26th NFL championship game, played on December 28 at Yankee Stadium in New York City. It was the first NFL game to be decided in sudden death overtime. The Baltimore Colts defeated the New York Giants 23–17 in what soon became widely known as "the Greatest Game Ever Played". Its legendary status in the pantheon of historic NFL games was again confirmed by a nationwide poll of 66 media members in 2019, who voted it the best game in the league's first 100 years.

It marked the beginning of the NFL's popularity surge and eventual rise to the top of the United States sports market. A major reason was that the game was televised across the nation by NBC. Baltimore receiver Raymond Berry recorded 12 receptions for 178 yards and a touchdown. His 12 receptions set a championship record that stood for 55 years until it was broken by Denver Broncos wide receiver Demaryius Thomas in Super Bowl XLVIII.