Its a major stretch to call a 20+ rating disappointing. Still, the NFL and its TV partners cannot be pleased with generally declining ratings during the 2009 postseason.
The NFC Championship Game, featuring the Cardinals’ defeat of the Eagles, drew a 21.9 fast-national rating and 38.4 million viewers on FOX Sunday afternoon, off 25% and 29% from a 29.0 with 53.9 million for last year’s NFC title game between the Giants and Packers, which aired in the evening.
Compared to the game in the same timeslot in ’08, Eagles/Cardinals was down 15% and 14% from a 25.7 and 44.8 million for last year’s AFC title game between the Patriots and Chargers.
Eagles/Cardinals finishes as the lowest rated, least viewed NFL Conference Championship game since 2006, when Panthers/Seahawks drew a 20.8 and 35 million. The 21.9 rating is the fourth-lowest of the decade for an NFL Conference Championship game.
Lowest rated NFL Conference Championship games.
since 1998
20.6: Vikings/Giants (Sun., 1/14/01, 12:30 PM FOX)
20.8: Panthers/Seahawks (Sun., 1/22/06, 6:30 PM FOX)
21.2: Patriots/Steelers (Sun., 1/27/02, 12:30 PM CBS)
21.9: Eagles/Cardinals (Sun., 1/18/09, 3 PM FOX)
22.0: Ravens/Steelers (Sun., 1/18/09, 6:30 PM CBS)
