The last time the NFL did this well, it was an Olympic year and a Clinton was in the presidential race.
Throughout the season, NFL games have drawn the highest numbers since 1996. On four occasions, NFL regular season games drew the best ratings since at least ’96, while last week’s Divisional Round match-ups had the highest average viewership since the same year. The NFC Championship Game can now be added to the list, as the Giants’ victory over the Packers drew the highest overnight for a Conference Championship game since Packers/Cowboys in ’96.
Giants/Packers drew a 31.7/46 overnight on FOX, the highest rating for any television program since last year’s Super Bowl. The 31.7 rating marks a 13% increase over the comparable AFC Championship game between the Patriots and Colts last year. Compared to last year’s NFC title game, the 31.7 rating marks a 21% increase — though it should be pointed out that Saints/Bears aired in the early timeslot last year.
The game is expected to finish with over 50 million viewers (preliminary numbers show 48.6 million tuned in), which would put Giants/Packers in select company. In the past fifteen years, “only Super Bowl games, the 1998 Academy Awards (the year “Titanic” was crowned) and the 2000 finale of the original “Survivor” on CBS have topped the number.”
While the NFC title game put up epic numbers, the AFC game put in a decent performance as well. The Patriots’ win over the Chargers drew a 27.4/48, up 4% from the comparable NFC title game between the Saints and Bears. Compared to last year’s AFC title game, the 27.4 is a 2% decline from Colts/Patriots. Keep in mind that game aired in the late timeslot last year.
If the NFL is lucky, the Super Bowl will be another throwback to 1996. The 1996 game, between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Dallas Cowboys, was the second most watched program in TV history and the most watched Super Bowl, with 94.1 million viewers.
