NFL Divisional Finals: Ratings Down But Viewership Up For Primetime Steelers/Chiefs

A move from the early afternoon to primetime produced mixed results for the NFL and NBC.

Sunday’s Steelers/Chiefs AFC Divisional Round game had a 19.8 final rating and 37.1 million viewers on NBC, down 6% in ratings but up 1% in viewership from Seahawks/Panthers last year (21.1, 36.7M) and down 20% and 16% respectively from Cowboys/Packers in 2015 (24.9, 44.4M), both of which aired in the afternoon on FOX.

Compared to last year’s Divisional Round game on NBC, Packers/Cardinals on a Saturday night, ratings increased 5% from an 18.8 and viewership 10% from 33.7 million.

The Steelers’ win, which peaked with 39.1 million viewers from 9-9:30 PM ET, ranks as the highest rated and most-watched primetime Wild Card or Divisional Round game ever (dates back to 2002) — topping the previous highs of the 2014 Saints/Eagles Wild Card on NBC (19.1, 34.4M). Keep in mind it was the first such game to air on a Sunday night.

The game was originally scheduled to take place at 1 PM ET but was pushed back due to inclement weather. It drew a lower rating than the past three Divisional Round games in the 1 PM Sunday window — Seahawks/Panthers last year, Cowboys/Packers in 2015 and 49ers/Panthers in 2014 (19.9). However, it earned a larger audience than all-but-two over the past 15 years, trailing only Cowboys/Packers in ’15 and Cowboys/Vikings in 2010 (37.7M).

Outside of the Super Bowl, Sunday’s game was the most-watched NFL telecast on NBC since the network reacquired rights to the league. The previous high was 35.4 million for last year’s Seahawks/Vikings Wild Card. It also delivered the second-highest NFL rating on NBC behind Seahawks/Vikings (21.0).

Figures do not include the 260,000 who streamed coverage on NFL and NBC digital platforms. With those numbers added to the mix, the game had 37.4 million.

(Wknd. numbers from NBC Sports Group Press Box 1/16)