The Panthers’ NFC Championship rout increased over last year’s AFC Championship rout.
Sunday’s Cardinals/Panthers NFC Championship Game drew a 24.1 rating and 45.7 million viewers on FOX, per Nielsen fast-nationals — up 7% in ratings and 8% in viewership from Colts/Patriots on CBS last year (22.5, 42.1M) but down 15% and 18%, respectively, from 49ers/Seahawks in 2014 (28.5, 55.9M).
Compared to last year’s Packers/Seahawks NFC Championship, which aired in the early window, ratings dropped 12% and viewership 8% from a 27.4 and 49.8 million.
The Panthers’ blowout win, which peaked with 49.9 million viewers from 8-8:30 PM ET, ranks as the lowest rated NFC Championship since Eagles/Cardinals in 2009 (21.9) and the least-watched since 49ers/Falcons three years ago (42.0M).
It also scored the third-lowest rating and viewership for the NFL’s late conference championship window in the past ten years — ahead of only Colts/Patriots last year and Ravens/Steelers in ’09 (22.0, 40.6M).
Charlotte was the top market with a 54.2 rating, followed by Panthers secondary market Greensboro (50.9). Phoenix (43.9) ranked third. In both Charlotte and Phoenix, Sunday’s game was the highest rated playoff telecast ever on FOX — with the caveat that the Panthers and Cardinals’ most recent Super Bowl appearances aired on other networks.
Greenville (43.2) and Raleigh-Durham (40.0) rounded out the top five.
(Sun. numbers from Fox Sports)
