Record Rating, Near-Record Viewership, For Packers/Cardinals Classic

An overtime classic delivered record ratings for NBC.

Saturday’s Packers/Cardinals NFL Divisional Round game earned an 18.8 rating and 33.7 million viewers on NBC, per Nielsen fast-nationals — up 9% in ratings and viewership from Panthers/Seahawks on FOX last year (17.2, 31.0M) and up 6% in both measures from Colts/Patriots on CBS in 2014 (17.8, 31.7M).

Compared to last year’s Ravens/Patriots Divisional Round game on NBC, which aired in the Saturday afternoon window, ratings dropped 4% (from 19.6) and viewership 1% (from 34.0M).

The Cardinals’ overtime win, which peaked at a 21.8 and 38.7 million from 11:15 PM ET to the conclusion, ranks as the highest rated and second-most watched Saturday night Divisional Round game (dates back to 2002). Broncos/Patriots in 2012 was previously the highest rated (18.5) and still ranks as the most-watched (34.2M).

Overall, it ranks as the sixth-highest rated and seventh-most watched Saturday playoff game — regardless of round or window — since the current scheduling format began in 2002 (59* telecasts).

Including Seahawks/Vikings in the Wild Card round (21.0, 35.3M), NBC averaged a 19.8 rating and 34.5 million viewers for its NFL playoff coverage this year — up 11% in both measures from last year (17.9, 31.2M) and the network’s best playoff performance since resuming NFL coverage in 2006. Excluding the Super Bowl, both games rank among NBC’s four highest rated and most-watched NFL telecasts since reacquiring rights.

NBC’s playoff coverage also averaged a 10.6 rating in the adults 18-49 demographic, up 8% from last year’s 9.8.

* Does not include Sunday’s Chiefs/Patriots early game, for which figures were not immediately available.

NBC’s Most-Watched NFL Games Since Reacquiring Rights
Excluding Super Bowl

(Sat. numbers from NBC Sports Group Press Box)