The NFL’s Viewership for the Division Round of the Playoffs Hit a Four-Year Low
The NFL’s viewership for the division round of the playoffs has hit a four-year low, despite ESPN claiming their most-watched NFL broadcast ever. According to figures, CBS averaged 42.4 million viewers for the game between the Baltimore Ravens and the Buffalo Bills, the biggest audience of the division round. This was down 16% from the same spot last year, which was watched by 50.4 million people.
The Kansas City Chiefs’ win over the Houston Texans on ESPN was also watched by 32.7 million people, making it the highest-rated 4:30 pm ET game on division Saturday across any network since 2016. The game was the most-watched on ESPN and was considered a major letdown.
The other network, NBC, reported an average of 37.8 million people watched their playoff game, which was down from the 40.4 million who watched last year. The network broadcast the snow game between the Los Angeles Rams and the Philadelphia Eagles.
Fox also reported a decrease in viewership, with an average of 33.6 million people watching the Detroit Lions take on the Washington Commanders on Saturday night, down from the 37.5 million who watched last year’s game.
Despite the decline in viewership, the NFL’s ratings are still strong, and the conference championships and the Super Bowl in February are expected to draw huge audiences. The Super Bowl LIX will take place on February 9th in New Orleans, Louisiana, and will be broadcast on Fox.