Even with an early start, the Cowboys and Packers generated a near-record audience for a Divisional Round game.
The Cowboys/Packers NFL Divisional Round game drew a 24.9 final rating and 44.4 million viewers on FOX Sunday afternoon, up 25% in ratings and 33% in viewership from 49ers/Panthers last year (19.9, 33.3M) and up 29% and 38%, respectively, from Seahawks/Falcons in 2012 (19.3, 32.1M).
The Packers’ win ranks as the most-watched early Sunday Divisional Round game ever, topping the previous mark 37.7 million for Cowboys/Vikings in 2010, and the highest rated since Cowboys/Eagles in 1996 (25.4). Overall, it earned the second-largest Divisional Round audience on record regardless of timeslot, behind only 45.1 million for Giants/Packers in 2012.
Cowboys/Packers was the top game of the weekend, earning a larger audience than Colts/Broncos on CBS later in the day (41.8M). This year marked the third time in ten seasons that the early Sunday Divisional window has been the top draw of the weekend.
Locally, the game drew a 53.4 rating in Milwaukee and a 46.8 in Dallas-Ft. Worth.
(Sun. numbers from Fox Sports)
