Though not as big a draw as Giants/Packers one day later, the Saints/49ers NFL Divisional Round game set a viewership milestone of its own on Saturday afternoon.
Saturday’s NFC Wild Card game, a close win for the 49ers over the Saints, drew a 20.5 rating and 35.6 million viewers on FOX, according to Nielsen fast-nationals — up 6% in ratings and 5% in viewership from last year’s comparable game (BAL/PIT: 19.4, 34.009M, CBS), and up 27% and 28%, respectively, from the comparable game in 2010 (ARI/NO: 16.1, 27.910M).
Viewership peaked at 42.5 million from 7:30-8 PM ET.
Saints/49ers ranks as the highest rated Saturday Divisional Round game since the 1995-96 season and the most-viewed since the 1987-88 season. Regardless of day, the game stands as the eighth-most viewed Divisional Round game of the past decade (44 games dating back to 2002).
New Orleans (57.2) was the top market for Saturday’s game, followed by the Bay Area (32.4).
(Saturday’s numbers from Fox Sports Media Group press release via Fang’s Bites)
