Nearly 38 million viewers tuned in to watch the Vikings blow out the Cowboys last Sunday.
Sunday’s Cowboys/Vikings game drew a 22.0/44 final rating and 37.7 million viewers on FOX, up 18% in ratings and 20% in viewership from Eagles/Giants on FOX last year (18.7/38, 31.4 mil), and up 9% and 19%, respectively, from Chargers/Colts on CBS in ’08 (20.2/41, 31.6 mil).
Cowboys/Vikings ranks as the highest rated early Sunday Divisional Round game since at least ’99, and the highest rated on FOX since ’96.
Additionally, the game was the highest rated and most-viewed of the Divisional Round, marking the first time since ’06 that the early Sunday game has outdrawn the late game.
Compared to the Ravens/Patriots Wild Card game in the same window a week earlier, Cowboys/Vikings was up 30% and 38%, respectively.
The Vikings’ win drew a 48.4/82 in Minneapolis/St. Paul and a 40.4/71 in Dallas. Impressively, New Orleans was the #2 market for the game, with a 41.4/61.
Ratings/viewership for early Sunday Divisional Round game since ’99
| Year | Date | Featured game | Net | Rating | Viewers (000) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
2010
|
Sun., 1/17/10 | Cowboys/Vikings | FOX |
22.0/44
|
37,700
|
| 2009 | Sun., 1/11/09 | Eagles/Giants | FOX |
18.7/38
|
31,358
|
| 2008 | Sun., 1/13/08 | Chargers/Colts | CBS |
20.2/41
|
31,573
|
| 2007 | Sun., 1/14/07 | Seahawks/Bears | FOX |
19.9/39
|
31,594
|
| 2006 | Sun., 1/15/06 | Steelers/Colts | CBS |
20.9/43
|
33,861
|
| 2005 | Sun., 1/16/05 | Vikings/Eagles | FOX |
19.4/31
|
29,968
|
| 2004 | Sun., 1/11/04 | Colts/Chiefs | CBS |
19.7/42
|
30,458
|
| 2003 | Sun., 1/12/03 | 49ers/Buccaneers | FOX |
18.3/39
|
28,120
|
| 2002 | Sun., 1/20/02 | Ravens/Steelers | CBS |
17.9/40
|
27,048
|
| 2001 | Sun., 1/7/01 | Ravens/Titans | CBS |
19.0/42
|
—
|
| 2000 | Sun., 1/16/00 | Vikings/Rams | FOX |
20.4/44
|
—
|
| 1999 | Sun., 1/10/99 | Jaguars/Jets | CBS |
20.1/45
|
—
|
