NFL Playoffs Numbers Game (Ratings and Viewership Dating Back to '02)

Ratings and viewership for every NFL playoff game over the past decade (from the 2001-02 season through the 2011-12 season).

The 2012 NFL playoffs averaged approximately 44.3 million viewers across NBC, FOX and CBS, slightly down from last year. The postseason included the most-viewed Wild Card game ever (PIT/DEN: 42.371M, CBS), the most-viewed Divisional Round game ever (NYG/GB: 45.120M, FOX), the second-most viewed Conference Championship game in thirty years (NYG/SF: 57.635M, FOX), and the most-viewed television program in U.S. history (NYG/NE: 111.346M, NBC).

Five playoff games this year earned over 40 million viewers, the largest total of the past decade. As recently as the 2005-06 season, only one playoff game hit that mark — the Super Bowl.

Ratings/Viewership For NFL Playoff Games
Past decade

Date	Time	Game	Net	Rating	Viewers (000)
2011-12 season
Sat., 1/7/12	4:30 PM	CIN 10, HOU 31	NBC	13.5	21,893
Sat., 1/7/12	8 PM	DET 28, NO 45	NBC	18.2	31,780
Sun., 1/8/12	1 PM	ATL 2, NYG 24	FOX	17.3	27,735
Sun., 1/8/12	4:30 PM	PIT 23, DEN 29	CBS	24.0	42,371
Sat., 1/14/12	4:30 PM	NO 32, SF 36	FOX	20.5	35,601
Sat., 1/14/12	8 PM	DEN 10, NE 45	CBS	18.5	34,161
Sun., 1/15/12	1 PM	HOU 13, BAL 20	CBS	19.0	30,963
Sun., 1/15/12	4:30 PM	NYG 37, GB 20	FOX	25.3	45,120
Sun., 1/22/12	3 PM	BAL 20, NE 23	CBS	27.4	48,676
Sun., 1/22/12	6:30 PM	NYG 20, SF 17	FOX	30.6	57,635
Sun., 2/5/12	6:30 PM	NYG 21, NE 17	NBC	47.0	111,346
2010-11 season
Sat., 1/8/11	4:30 PM	NO 36, SEA 41	NBC	16.8	28,304
Sat., 1/8/11	8 PM	NYJ 17, IND 16	NBC	18.7	33,350
Sun., 1/9/11	1 PM	BAL 30, KC 7	CBS	17.1	28,384
Sun., 1/9/11	4:30 PM	GB 21, PHI 16	FOX	22.1	39,274
Sat., 1/15/11	4:30 PM	BAL 24, PIT 31	CBS	19.4	34,009
Sat., 1/15/11	8 PM	GB 48, ATL 21	FOX	17.0	30,817
Sun., 1/16/11	1 PM	SEA 24, CHI 35	FOX	19.1	32,493
Sun., 1/16/11	4:30 PM	NYJ 28, NE 21	CBS	24.2	43,463
Sun., 1/23/11	3 PM	GB 21, CHI 14	FOX	28.1	51,884
Sun., 1/23/11	6:30 PM	NYJ 19, PIT 24	CBS	28.3	54,850
Sun., 2/6/11	6:30 PM	GB 31, PIT 25	FOX	46.0	111,010
2009-10 season
Sat., 1/9/10	4:30 PM	NYJ 24, CIN 14	NBC	15.2	25,048
Sat., 1/9/10	8 PM	PHI 14, DAL 34	NBC	18.0	32,124
Sun., 1/10/10	1 PM	BAL 33, NE 14	CBS	16.9	27,413
Sun., 1/10/10	4:30 PM	GB 45, ARI 51	FOX	19.6	34,406
Sat., 1/16/10	4:30 PM	ARI 14, NO 45	FOX	16.1	27,910
Sat., 1/16/10	8 PM	BAL 3, IND 20	CBS	17.0	30,569
Sun., 1/17/10	1 PM	DAL 3, MIN 34	FOX	22.0	37,669
Sun., 1/17/10	4:30 PM	NYJ 17, SD 14	CBS	20.1	35,627
Sun., 1/24/10	3 PM	NYJ 17, IND 30	CBS	26.3	46,917
Sun., 1/24/10	6:30 PM	MIN 28, NO 31	FOX	30.6	57,933
Sun., 2/7/10	6:30 PM	NO 31, IND 17	CBS	45.0	106,476
2008-09 season
Sat., 1/4/09	4:30 PM	ATL 24, ARI 30	NBC	13.1	20,953
Sat., 1/4/09	8 PM	IND 17, SD 23	NBC	16.1	27,792
Sun., 1/5/09	1 PM	BAL 27, MIA 9	CBS	15.0	23,893
Sun., 1/5/09	4:30 PM	PHI 26, MIN 14	FOX	17.6	30,026
Sat., 1/10/09	4:30 PM	BAL 13, TEN 10	CBS	15.4	25,453
Sat., 1/10/09	8 PM	ARI 33, CAR 13	FOX	13.8	23,776
Sun., 1/11/09	1 PM	PHI 23, NYG 11	FOX	18.7	31,358
Sun., 1/11/09	4:30 PM	SD 24, PIT 35	CBS	19.6	34,107
Sun., 1/18/09	3 PM	PHI 25, ARI 32	FOX	21.9	38,387
Sun., 1/18/09	6:30 PM	BAL 14, PIT 23	CBS	22.0	40,645
Sun., 2/1/09	6:30 PM	PIT 27, ARI 23	NBC	42.0	98,732
2007-08 season
Sat., 1/5/08	4:30 PM	WSH 14, SEA 35	NBC	14.0	22,994
Sat., 1/5/08	8 PM	JAX 31, PIT 29	NBC	15.0	25,736
Sun., 1/6/08	1 PM	NYG 24, TB 14	FOX	15.1	22,973
Sun., 1/6/08	4:30 PM	TEN 6, SD 17	CBS	16.7	26,628
Sat., 1/12/08	4:30 PM	SEA 20, GB 42	FOX	17.0	28,200
Sat., 1/12/08	8 PM	JAX 20, NE 31	CBS	17.9	30,896
Sun., 1/13/08	1 PM	SD 28, IND 24	CBS	20.2	31,573
Sun., 1/13/08	4:30 PM	NYG 21, DAL 17	FOX	23.6	40,063
Sun., 1/20/08	3 PM	SD 12, NE 21	CBS	25.7	44,840
Sun., 1/20/08	6:30 PM	NYG 23, GB 20	FOX	29.0	53,937
Sun., 2/3/08	6:30 PM	NYG 17, NE 14	FOX	43.1	97,448
2006-07 season
Sat., 1/6/07	4:30 PM	KC 8, IND 23	NBC	12.6	19,700
Sat., 1/6/07	8 PM	DAL 20, SEA 21	NBC	16.4	26,767
Sun., 1/7/07	1 PM	NYJ 16, NE 37	CBS	17.3	?
Sun., 1/7/07	4:30 PM	NYG 20, PHI 23	FOX	18.2	29,704
Sat., 1/13/07	4:30 PM	IND 15, BAL 6	CBS	16.4	26,198
Sat., 1/13/07	8 PM	PHI 24, NO 27	FOX	16.3	27,440
Sun., 1/14/07	1 PM	SEA 24, CHI 27	FOX	19.9	31,594
Sun., 1/14/07	4:30 PM	NE 24, SD 21	CBS	20.6	34,219
Sun., 1/21/07	3 PM	NO 14, CHI 39	FOX	25.1	43,247
Sun., 1/21/07	6:30 PM	NE 34, IND 38	CBS	26.4	46,695
Sun., 2/4/07	6:30 PM	IND 29, CHI 17	CBS	42.6	93,184
2005-06 season
Sat., 1/7/06	4:30 PM	WSH 17, TB 10	ABC	14.2	21,818
Sat., 1/7/06	8 PM	JAX 3, NE 28	ABC	13.9	22,551
Sun., 1/8/06	1 PM	CAR 23, NYG 0	FOX	15.1	22,773
Sun., 1/8/06	4:30 PM	PIT 31, CIN 17	CBS	18.9	30,369
Sat., 1/14/06	4:30 PM	WSH 10, SEA 20	FOX	15.8	24,269
Sat., 1/14/06	8 PM	NE 13, DEN 27	CBS	16.1	26,254
Sun., 1/15/06	1 PM	PIT 21, IND 18	CBS	20.9	33,861
Sun., 1/15/06	4:30 PM	CAR 29, CHI 21	FOX	19.7	32,699
Sun., 1/22/06	3 PM	PIT 34, DEN 17	CBS	23.6	39,001
Sun., 1/22/06	6:30 PM	CAR 14, SEA 34	FOX	20.8	35,233
Sun., 2/5/06	6:30 PM	PIT 21, SEA 10	ABC	41.6	90,745
2004-05 season
Sat., 1/8/05	4:30 PM	STL 27, SEA 20	ABC	14.6	21,882
Sat., 1/8/05	8 PM	NYJ 20, SD 17	ABC	16.0	25,763
Sun., 1/9/05	1 PM	DEN 34, IND 49	CBS	16.3	24,946
Sun., 1/9/05	4:30 PM	MIN 31, GB 17	FOX	18.4	30,099
Sat., 1/15/05	4:30 PM	NYJ 17, PIT 20	CBS	18.2	29,401
Sat., 1/15/05	8 PM	STL 17, ATL 47	FOX	14.0	23,700
Sun., 1/16/05	1 PM	MIN 14, PHI 27	FOX	19.4	29,968
Sun., 1/16/05	4:30 PM	IND 3, NE 20	CBS	23.2	37,980
Sun., 1/23/05	3 PM	ATL 10, PHI 27	FOX	25.8	42,937
Sun., 1/23/05	6:30 PM	NE 41, PIT 27	CBS	25.8	44,334
Sun., 2/6/05	6:30 PM	NE 24, PHI 21	FOX	41.1	86,072
2003-04 season
Sat., 1/3/04	4:30 PM	TEN 20, BAL 17	ABC	14.6	22,654
Sat., 1/3/04	8 PM	DAL 10, CAR 29	ABC	15.4	24,664
Sun., 1/4/04	1 PM	SEA 27, GB 33	FOX	19.1	29,313
Sun., 1/4/04	4:30 PM	DEN 10, IND 41	CBS	16.5	26,150
Sat., 1/10/04	4:30 PM	CAR 29, STL 23	FOX	16.6	25,362
Sat., 1/10/04	8 PM	TEN 14, NE 17	CBS	15.9	25,915
Sun., 1/11/04	1 PM	IND 38, KC 31	CBS	19.7	30,458
Sun., 1/11/04	4:30 PM	GB 17, PHI 20	FOX	23.8	39,487
Sun., 1/18/04	3 PM	IND 14, NE 24	CBS	24.7	40,115
Sun., 1/18/04	6:30 PM	CAR 14, PHI 3	FOX	23.2	40,444
Sun., 2/1/04	6:30 PM	NE 32, CAR 29	CBS	41.4	89,795
2002-03 season
Sat., 1/4/03	4:30 PM	IND 0, NYJ 41	ABC	13.0	19,663
Sat., 1/4/03	8 PM	ATL 27, GB 7	ABC	16.0	26,319
Sun., 1/5/03	1 PM	CLE 33, PIT 36	CBS	18.1	27,450
Sun., 1/5/03	4:30 PM	NYG 38, SF 39	FOX	18.2	29,834
Sat., 1/11/03	4:30 PM	PIT 31, TEN 34	CBS	18.1	28,514
Sat., 1/11/03	8 PM	ATL 6, PHI 20	FOX	14.8	24,931
Sun., 1/12/03	1 PM	SF 6, TB 31	FOX	18.3	28,120
Sun., 1/12/03	4:30 PM	NYJ 10, OAK 30	CBS	22.1	35,137
Sun., 1/19/03	3 PM	TB 10, PHI 27	FOX	23.8	38,741
Sun., 1/19/03	6:30 PM	TEN 24, OAK 41	CBS	24.6	41,456
Sun., 1/26/03	6:30 PM	TB 48, OAK 21	ABC	40.7	88,637
2001-02 season
Sat., 1/12/02	4:30 PM	TB 9, PHI 31	ABC	13.1	n/a
Sat., 1/12/02	8 PM	NYJ 24, OAK 38	ABC	13.9	22,029
Sun., 1/13/02	1 PM	SF 15, GB 25	FOX	16.8	n/a
Sun., 1/13/02	4:30 PM	BAL 20, MIA 3	CBS	16.8	n/a
Sat., 1/19/02	4:30 PM	PHI 33, CHI 19	FOX	17.1	26,610
Sat., 1/19/02	8 PM	OAK 13, NE 16	CBS	17.4	28,723
Sun., 1/20/02	1 PM	BAL 10, PIT 27	CBS	17.9	27,048
Sun., 1/20/02	4:30 PM	GB 17, STL 45	FOX	19.5	30,801
Sun., 1/27/02	12:30 PM	NE 24, PIT 17	CBS	21.2	33,313
Sun., 1/27/02	4 PM	PHI 24, STL 29	FOX	22.7	37,429
Sun., 2/3/02	6:30 PM	NE 20, STL 17	FOX	40.4	86,801

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Comments 1

James says:

14 years ago

Thank you so much for posting these numbers. The NFL audience has gotten so huge over the years as you can see from 2001 to now in 2011 that they’ve grown about 15 million new viewers on average. Starting in 2009 the playoff numbers really grew for each game in each slot. The CIN-HOU game looked average on paper when the numbers first came out but its one of the highest rated opening wild card games of all-time and bigger than the comparable ATL-ARZ matchup in 2007-08. Houston will be a team that really grows its national audience next season and Detroit so look out for those two teams ratings next season.

I think a huge reason why the NFL is up over the last 5 years is b/c of Sunday Night Football I think that program alone has helped put a premium on watching games on Sunday night and now new fans who watched those Sunday night ones have adapted to watching the NFL.