NFL Wild Card Weekend Up From '08; Eagles-Vikings Tops Ratings

Last weekend's four NFL Wild Card games averaged a 15.5 rating and 25.8 million viewers, up 2.0% and 5.0%, respectively, from a 15.2 rating and 24.6 million viewers last season. Last weekend's games also mark the most-viewed Wild Card weekend since '03, which drew 25.9 million viewers. Last weekend's highest-rated game was Eagles-Vikings on Fox in the late window on Sunday, earning a 17.6 rating (30 million viewers). On Saturday night, NBC drew 27.8 million viewers for the Colts-Chargers game, marking the most-viewed Saturday Wild Card game since Cardinals-Cowboys drew 30.7 million viewers on ABC in '99. The chart below shows ratings and viewers for each of the '09 NFL Wild Card matchups, with comparisons to '08 (THE DAILY).