Divisional Round Saturday produced a pair of multi-year highs in the overnight ratings.
Saturday’s Cowboys-Rams NFC Divisional Round game had a 20.5 overnight rating on FOX, up 23% from last year (Titans-Patriots: 16.6) and up 13% from 2017 (Texans-Patriots: 18.2), both of which aired on CBS.
The 20.5 is the highest for the Saturday night Divisional Round game in seven years (2012 Broncos-Patriots: 20.6), and the second-highest since the window debuted in 2002. Regardless of round, it ranks as the top Saturday night NFL game since the 2014 Wild Card round (Saints-Eagles: 20.5).
Regardless of timeslot, it is the highest for any Saturday Divisional Round game in four years (2015 Ravens-Patriots: 20.9).
Compared to the Cowboys’ previous Divisional Round appearances, overnights declined 27% from 2017 (28.2) and 22% from 2015 (26.2). Both of those games were against the Packers on Sunday afternoons.
Going back further, the 20.5 is the lowest for a Cowboys Divisional Round game since at least 1995. Prior to last night, the Cowboys had not played a Saturday game on Divisional Round weekend since 1986 (also against the Rams).
Shifting to the AFC, Colts-Chiefs scored a 19.0 overnight on NBC Saturday afternoon — up 9% from last year (Falcons-Eagles: 17.4) and up 4% from 2017 on FOX (Seahawks-Falcons: 18.3). The 19.0 is the highest in the early Saturday Divisional Round window since 2016 (Chiefs-Patriots: 19.7).
[Numbers from NBC Sports, Fox Sports PR/Twitter 1.13]
