Divisional Round Sunday was a mixed bag in the overnight ratings.
Sunday’s Eagles-Saints NFC Divisional Round game earned a 23.8 overnight rating on FOX, up 9% from last year (Saints-Vikings: 21.8), but down 16% from Packers-Cowboys in 2017, the highest rated early round playoff game in the metered markets since 1997 (28.2).
The 23.8 overnight is the highest of the NFL season, topping the 22.9 for Eagles-Bears in the same window the previous week. Even with the Cowboys playing two Saturday playoff games this year, the late Sunday window remains the NFL’s highest rated slot.
Though a massive number by any standard, the 23.8 tied the second-lowest overnight in the late Sunday Divisional Round window since 2010 (Jets-Chargers: 23.1). It matched Texans-Patriots in 2013 and topped Saints-Vikings last year.
Earlier in the day, Chargers-Patriots had a 19.2 — down 6% from last year (Jaguars-Steelers: 20.4) and the lowest overnight in the early Sunday Divisional Round window since 2001 (Ravens-Titans: 18.8). No other game in the past 20 years has had a lower rating in the window.
The Patriots’ blowout win was the first game of the playoffs to decline from last year, much less hit a multi-year low.
Overnight ratings for Saturday’s games are available here.
[Numbers from Fox Sports PR 1.14; Sports Business Daily 1.14]
