Close to 30 million viewers tuned into last week’s Wild Card clash between the Colts and Ravens.
Sunday’s Colts/Ravens AFC Wild Card game earned an 18.1 final rating and 29.6 million viewers on CBS, up 5% in ratings and 7% in viewership from Falcons/Giants on FOX last year (17.3, 27.7M), and up 6% and 4%, respectively, from Ravens/Chiefs on CBS in 2010 (17.1, 28.3M).
The game ranks as the highest rated NFL Wild Card game in the early Sunday window since Seahawks/Packers on FOX in 2004 (19.1), and the second-highest rated Wild Card game on CBS since Steelers/Bengals in 2006 (18.9).
Of note, both AFC Wild Card games had increases in ratings and viewership, while both NFC games hit multi-year lows. With that said, the two NFC games were still the most-viewed of the weekend — and the Seattle/Washington game on FOX was the third-most viewed Wild Card game of all-time.
(Sunday’s numbers from Sports Business Daily)
