Despite a pair of good games on Sunday, including an all-time finish, NFL Divisional Round ratings hit across-the-board lows in the metered markets.
Sunday’s Saints-Vikings NFC Divisional Round game earned a 21.8 overnight rating, down 23% from Packers-Cowboys last year (28.2), down 17% from Steelers-Broncos on CBS in 2016 (26.2), and the lowest overnight in the window since 2009 (Chargers-Steelers: 21.4).
Going back further, the 21.8 is the third-lowest for the late Sunday Divisional Round game since 2002 — ahead of the 2009 game and Panthers-Bears in 2007 (21.7).
The 23% decline is the steepest of the postseason, with the caveat that last year’s Packers-Cowboys game set an unusually high bar. The weekend’s other games posted merely modest declines, though they also hit multi-year lows.
Jaguars-Steelers drew a 20.4 overnight on CBS earlier in the day, down 7% from Steelers-Chiefs on NBC last year, which was moved from 1 PM ET to primetime due to weather (21.9). Compared to Seahawks-Panthers on FOX two years ago, which aired as scheduled, overnights fell 12% from a 23.1.
The 20.4 overnight is the lowest in the early Sunday Divisional Round window since 2002 (Ravens-Steelers: 19.9), falling narrowly below the previous mark of 20.6 — set by Texans-Ravens in 2012 and Colts-Chiefs in 2004.
On Saturday, Falcons-Eagles drew a 17.4 overnight on NBC — down 5% from Seahawks-Falcons on FOX last year (18.3) and 12% from Chiefs-Patriots in 2015 (19.7). The 17.4 is the lowest in the early Saturday Divisional window since 2009 (Ravens-Titans: 17.0), and the second-lowest since 2001.
Titans-Patriots brought up the rear with a 16.6 on CBS Saturday night, down 9% from Texans-Patriots last year (18.2) and down 18% from Packers-Cardinals on NBC in 2016 (20.3). The 16.6 is the lowest for the primetime Divisional Round game since 2009 (Cardinals-Panthers: 15.8).
[Wknd. overnights from Sports Business Daily 1.15]
