Airing Divisional Round action for the first time since the 1990s, NBC earned its largest non-Super Bowl NFL audience since reacquiring rights to the league.
The Ravens/Patriots NFL Divisional Round game drew a 19.6 rating and 34.0 million viewers on NBC Saturday afternoon, according to Nielsen fast-nationals — up 8% in ratings and 9% in viewership from Saints/Seahawks on FOX last year (18.1, 31.1M) but down 2% and 4%, respectively, from Ravens/Broncos on CBS in 2012 (20.1, 35.3M).
Excluding the Super Bowl, the Patriots’ win ranks as the highest rated and most-watched NFL telecast on NBC since the network resumed airing games in 2006. The previous highs were an 18.7 and 33.4 million for a Jets/Colts Wild Card game in 2011.
Ravens/Patriots also ranks as the third-highest rated Saturday Divisional Round game on any network since the 1995-96 season, and the fourth-most watched since 1987-88.
Boston was the top market with a 45.7 rating, with Baltimore not far behind (45.4). Providence (35.6), Charlotte (27.7) and Buffalo (27.4) rounded out the top five.
(Sat. numbers via NBC Sports Group Press Box)
