Ratings and viewership went in opposite directions for the featured game of NFL Wild Card weekend.
Sunday’s Giants/Packers NFC Wild Card game scored a 21.3 final rating and 39.3 million viewers on FOX, down 2% in ratings but up 1% in viewership from Green Bay/Washington last year (21.8, 38.9M) and down 10% and 7% respectively from Lions/Cowboys in 2015 (23.6, 42.3M). The 21.3 rating is the lowest for the late Sunday Wild Card window in seven years, since Packers/Cardinals in 2010 (19.6).
Despite the seven-year ratings low, the Packers’ easy win delivered the fourth-largest NFL Wild Card audience ever — trailing only Lions/Cowboys in ’15, Steelers/Broncos in 2012 (42.4M) and 49ers/Packers in 2014 (47.1M).
It was the only game of Wild Card weekend to score an increase in either ratings or viewership.
The last time the Giants and Packers met in postseason, 2012, their Divisional Round matchup had a 25.3 rating and 45.1 million viewers. That still ranks as the highest rated Divisional Round game since 1997 and the most-watched ever.
(Wknd. numbers via ShowBuzz Daily 1/10)
