The 49ers’ comeback win over the Packers not only topped this past Saturday, but every Saturday in the past 30 years.
Saturday’s Packers-49ers NFC Divisional Round playoff game averaged a 17.8 rating and 37.54 million viewers on FOX, which as previously noted is the largest Saturday television audience on any network since Nancy Kerrigan and Tonya Harding-fueled 1994 Lillehammer Winter Olympics on CBS.
The three-decade high comes with the caveat that out-of-home viewing was not included in Nielsen final nationals prior to 2020 (or measured at all prior to 2016), meaning that a number of Saturday games from playoffs past likely averaged more viewers all things being equal. Another caveat is that Saturdays — the least-watched night of the week — have rarely featured any programming of note over the past 30 years.
Earlier in the day, Texans-Ravens averaged a combined 16.2 and 32.40 million across ABC (10.8, 21.33M), ESPN (5.4, 10.97M) and ESPN Deportes (0.03, 89K) — the largest NFL audience on ESPN/ABC since ABC alone averaged 33.58 million for a Chiefs-Dolphins Wild Card game on New Year’s Eve 1994.
Fueled by the NFL lead-in, UFC 297 prelims led the non-NFL slate with a 0.54 and 1.03 million on ESPN Saturday night — down slightly from UFC 283 prelims on both ESPN and ABC last year (1.10M), but the largest single-network UFC audience since UFC 292 prelims last August (1.24M).
College basketball topped out at only a 0.50 and 824,000 for Marquette-St. John’s on FOX, part of an early window that also included Baylor-Texas on ESPN at a 0.48 and 821,000 and San Diego State-Boise State on CBS at a mere 0.32 and 552,000. FOX also drew a 0.42 and 729,000 for USC-Arizona State later in the afternoon. The CW scored its top college basketball audience yet, drawing a 0.36 and 622,000 for North Carolina-Boston College.
Liga MX led the soccer slate with Univision posting a 0.35 and 776,000 for Club America-Queretaro, followed a Nottingham-Brentford English Premier League match at a 0.48 and 795,000 across NBC (0.46, 762K) and Universo (0.02, 33K). Both outdrew the USMNT match against Slovenia, which drew a combined 531,000 across TNT (0.17, 291K) and Telemundo (0.15, 240K).
In other action, ABC chipped in a 0.42 and 688,000 for an hour of Australian Open highlights. Live coverage on ESPN2 drew a 0.22 and 375,000 in primetime. NBC’s coverage of Alpine World Cup skiing drew a 0.36 and 550,000, preceded by the LPGA Tournament of Champions at a 0.35 and 545,000. The PGA Tour American Express drew a 0.14 and 215,000 on Golf Channel.
Saturday, January 20 sports ratings
