The NFL’s divisional playoffs delivered great drama and record TV ratings last weekend.
The divisional-round games averaged 38.2 million viewers — the highest average for the round on record — the league announced on Tuesday. That viewership marked a 21 percent increase from last season.
Saturday night’s San Francisco-Green Bay Packers NFC game on Fox, a 13-10 49ers win decided by Robbie Gould’s 45-yard field goal on the game’s final play, drew 36.9 million viewers. The game was the most-watched TV show on a Saturday night in 28 years, dating to the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway.
The Kansas City Chiefs’ dramatic 42-36 overtime AFC win over the Buffalo Bills on Sunday night on CBS drew an average 42.7 million viewers. It was the most-watched divisional playoff game in five years, with viewership peaking at 51.7 million viewers at the thrilling finish.
The Los Angeles Rams’ 30-27 NFC victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday on NBC drew 38.1 million viewers. It was the network’s most-watched game since in 2006, excluding Super Bowls.
The Cincinnati Bengals’ 19-16 AFC win over the Tennessee Titans, decided by Evan McPherson’s 52-yard field goal as time expired, Saturday on CBS averaged 30.8 million viewers.
–Field Level Media