One of the bigger upsets in recent NFL history earned massive numbers for NBC.
Saturday’s Saints/Seahawks NFC Wild Card game earned an 18.3 overnight rating on NBC, up 8% from last year (NYJ/CIN: 16.9), and up 28% from 2009 (ATL/ARI: 14.3).
The Seahawks, the first NFL team to ever win its division with a sub-.500 record, defeated the defending champion Saints.
The 18.3 overnight is the highest for the early Saturday NFL Wild Card game since 1991 (WSH/PHI: 18.6, ABC), the first year the NFL played four Wild Card games.
Additionally, the 18.3 is tied as the fifth-highest overnight for any Saturday Wild Card game, regardless of timeslot, dating back to the 1998-99 season (26 telecasts). (Including Sunday games, Saints/Seahawks ranks 20th out of 50 Wild Card games since 1998-99.)
The Saints’ surprising loss earned a 54.4 rating in New Orleans, tops among all metered markets. The game also drew a 39.9 in Seattle, a 25.2 in Indianapolis, a 24.6 in Baltimore, and a 22.2 in Richmond, VA.
(NBC press release from TV By The Numbers)
