For the first time in five years, overnight ratings rose across-the-board for NFL Wild Card weekend.
Sunday’s Eagles-Bears NFC Wild Card Game earned a 22.9 overnight rating on NBC, up 12% from last year (Panthers-Saints: 20.4) but down 5% from 2017 (Giants-Packers: 24.0). Those games aired on FOX.
Not counting the Super Bowl, the 22.9 is the highest for an NFL game on NBC since the league returned to the network in 2006. The previous high was a 22.5 for a Seahawks-Vikings Wild Card Game two years ago.
It is the highest for a Wild Card Game on NBC in 25 years, since Broncos-Raiders in 1994 (23.3). Keep in mind that prior to this year, NBC had not aired a Wild Card game in the late Sunday window since the 1995-96 season — and that was on New Year’s Eve.
The Eagles’ last-second win peaked at a 27.6 in the final quarter-hour. Its lead-out show, the Golden Globe Awards, had a 12.7 overnight (-5%).
Though an objectively massive number, the 22.9 is the second-lowest for the late Sunday Wild Card window since 2010 (Packers-Cardinals: 21.8). That is more an indication of how strong the numbers were from 2011-17 than of weakness this year.
Earlier in the day, CBS drew a 17.8 for Chargers-Ravens — up 2% from last year (Bills-Jaguars: 17.5) but down 7% from 2017 (Dolphins-Steelers: 19.2). The 17.8 is the second-lowest for the early Sunday Wild Card window since 2009 (Ravens-Dolphins: 17.0).
Fast-nationals for Saturday’s games have already been reported, but for posterity, here are the overnights. Seahawks-Cowboys drew a 17.7 on FOX (+19%), the highest since 2016 on CBS (Steelers-Bengals: 19.2). Colts-Texans had a 15.3 on ESPN/ABC (+4%), tied as the second-lowest in the early Saturday window since 2009 (Falcons-Cardinals: 14.3).
This year marked the first time in five years that all four Wild Card windows posted an increase in the metered markets.
[Numbers from NBC Sports PR, Sports Business Daily 1.7]
