NBC's OT Thriller is Highest-Rated Primetime Saturday NFL Divisional Playoff Game Ever
The Arizona Cardinals' dramatic 26-20 overtime victory against the Green Bay Packers in last night's NFC Divisional Playoff game on NBC posted an 18.8/33 household rating to rank as the highest-rated Saturday primetime Divisional game ever, according to Fast National data from The Nielsen Company. The NFL introduced primetime Saturday Divisional Playoff games in the 2001 season.
In addition, NBC's Packers-Cardinals NFC Divisional Playoff telecast (8:16-11:41 p.m. ET) averaged 33.7 million viewers to rank as the second-most watched Saturday primetime Divisional ever (34.2 million viewers for Broncos-Patriots game on CBS; Jan. 14, 2012). The household rating and viewership for Packers-Cardinals both are up 9% over last year's primetime Saturday NFC Divisional Playoff (17.2/29 and 31.0 million viewers for Panthers-Seahawks on FOX). "Rodgers is going to roll away, throws it up in the air, says a prayer and...Janis!" - Al Michaels' call of Aaron Rodgers' Hail Mary on final play of regulation"That may be one of the great throws ever made: moving to his left, falling away, and launching a perfect throw." - Cris Collinsworth
Viewership peaked at 38.7 million (21.8/40 rating) for the game's dramatic conclusion from 11:15-11:41pm ET, featuring Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers' Hail Mary to tie the score on the final play of regulation, and the thrilling 75-yard catch-and-run by Arizona receiver Larry Fitzgerald on the first play from scrimmage in overtime to set up his game-winning, five-yard TD catch two plays later.
"You just can't get enough of this...there is no reality television out there that can match the drama that we just saw." - Collinsworth on postgame show
For its two January 2016 playoff games, NBC averaged 34.5 million viewers, a 19.8/37 household rating, and a 10.6 rating in the coveted Adult 18-49 demographic - records for NBC in all three metrics since acquiring the SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL package in 2006, and up 11%, 11% and 8% respectively from last year (31.2 million viewers, 17.9/32 HH rating, 9.8 Adult 18-49 rating). NBC's Wild Card telecast on January 10 - Seattle's down-to-the-wire 10-9 victory over the Minnesota VIKINGS - averaged 35.4 million viewers to rank as the most-watched early Sunday Wild Card on record (People Meter history dates to 1988).
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Milwaukee, 48.0/71 |
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Phoenix, 37.9/60 |
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Minneapolis, 30.8/52 |
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Seattle, 29.6/49 |
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Las Vegas, 27.8/42 |
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Albuquerque, 27.7/43 |
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Denver, 27.7/49 |
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Norfolk, 25.3/38 |
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Buffalo, 24.5/37 |
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New Orleans, 24.0/36 |
SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL completed its 10th season on NBC averaging 22.5 million viewers which is the best ever for SNF on NBC and the highest viewership for the NFL's premier primetime package in 19 years. The record-setting season puts Sunday Night Footballon pace to be primetime's #1 show for the fifth consecutive full TV season - a feat accomplished by only three other TV shows since 1950.
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