The NFL’s Wild Card Saturday Night was not as big a draw as usual this year.
The Ravens/Steelers NFL Wild Card game drew 15.8 final rating and 28.0 million viewers on NBC Saturday night, down 17% in ratings and 19% in viewership from Saints/Eagles last year (19.1, 34.4M) and down 9% and 8%, respectively, from Vikings/Packers in 2012 (17.3, 30.3M).
The Ravens’ win ranks as the lowest rated late Saturday Wild Card game since Jaguars/Steelers in 2008 (15.0) and the least-watched since Colts/Chargers in 2009 (27.8M). The late Saturday window had topped 30 million viewers in five straight years.
Despite the lower numbers, the game also ranked as the second-most watched Saturday AFC Wild Card game in the past 20 seasons — trailing only Jets/Colts in 2011 (33.3M).
Pittsburgh was the top local market, with a 46.5 rating. Baltimore ranked second with a 46.0, with Cincinnati (25.4), Denver (24.9) and Las Vegas (24.1) rounding out the top five.
(Sat. numbers via NBC Sports Group Press Box)
