Though unable to match last year’s record, the Cowboys’ first playoff game in five years was a huge draw on FOX.
The Lions/Cowboys NFL Wild Card game drew a 23.6 final rating and 42.3 million viewers on FOX Sunday afternoon, down 9% in ratings and 10% in viewership from 49ers/Packers last year (25.8, 47.1M) but up 10% and 11%, respectively, from Seahawks/Washington in 2012 (21.5, 38.1M).
The Cowboys’ win earned the third-largest audience ever for an NFL Wild Card game, trailing only 49ers/Packers last year and Steelers/Broncos on CBS in 2012 (42.4M). The 23.6 rating is the third-highest for a Wild Card game since 1999, trailing last year and 2012 (24.0).
As could be expected, Lions/Cowboys earned television’s top audience since last year’s Academy Awards and the top sports audience since last year’s Super Bowl.
The game earned a 43.9 rating in Detroit, the market’s highest on record for an NFL playoff game, and a 43.6 in Dallas-Ft. Worth.
(Sun. numbers from Fox Sports)
