Well, when you have a game watched by an average 47.1 million people and two others topping 30 million, you have reason to pound your chest and crow. That is what the National Football League is doing after getting the numbers from the four Wild Card games from the weekend. And with the numbers, the NFL knows that they are good.
For the fourth consecutive year, the four Wild Card games average over 30 million viewers. A lot of that had to do with three of the games being decided by a total six points.
Quite impressive numbers and local ratings saw ratings high for the late Sunday afternoon NFC Wild Card game between San Francisco and Green Bay and for the early Sunday afternoon AFC Wild Card game pitting San Diego at Cincinnati.
Here’s the NFL’s press release.
WILD CARD WEEKEND MOST-WATCHED EVER
49ERS-PACKERS ON FOX MOST-WATCHED WILD CARD GAME ALL-TIME
WILD CARD WEEKEND AVERAGES MORE THAN 30 MILLION VIEWERS FOR FOURTH CONSECUTIVE YEARThis weekend delivered historic games – three of the four Wild Card games were decided by three points or fewer, only the second time in NFL postseason history in which three teams won by three points or fewer in the same weekend (2006 Divisional). And fans tuned in in record numbers!
The four Wild Card games averaged 34.7 million viewers making this the most-watched Wild Card Weekend on record. For the fourth consecutive season, the four Wild Card Playoff games averaged more than 30 million viewers.
Sunday’s San Francisco 49ers-Green Bay Packers game on FOX drew 47.1 million viewers ranking as the most-watched telecast since Super Bowl XLVII (108.4 million, Feb. 3, 2013) and the most-watched Wild Card game on record topping the 2011 AFC Wild Card on CBS, Steelers-Broncos, 42.4 million) and 2010 NFC Wild Card on FOX (Packers-Eagles, 39.3 million).
The two Wild Card games on Sunday (San Diego Chargers at Cincinnati Bengals on CBS, followed by 49ers-Packers) averaged 38.9 million viewers, making it the most-watched Wild Card Sunday in at least 20 years.
NBC’s “Wild Card Saturday” was the most-watched Wild Card Saturday ever, averaging 30.8 million viewers. New Orleans Saints at Philadelphia Eagles is the most-watched Wild Card Saturday game ever, averaging 34.4 million viewers.
The four games were also the four most-watched shows on television last week (chart below).
Most-Watched Shows on Television, Week of Dec. 30, 2013 – Jan. 5, 2014
Program Average Viewers 1. FOX Wild Card Playoff (49ers-Packers) 47.1 million 2. NBC Wild Card Playoff (Saints-Eagles) 34.4 million 3. CBS Wild Card Playoff (Chargers-Bengals) 30.9 million 4. NBC Wild Card Playoff (Chiefs-Colts) 27.6 million 5. The Big Bang Theory 19.2 million 6. 2014 Rose Bowl (Stanford-Michigan State) 18.6 million 7. 2014 Sugar Bowl (Oklahoma-Alabama) 16.3 million 8. New Years Rockin’ Eve 12.2 million 9. 2014 Orange Bowl (Clemson-Ohio State) 11.4 million 10. The Millers 11.3 million Source: NFL & The Nielsen Company, Fast National Data
That is all.
