NFL Wild Card weekend had its lowest average viewership since '08. The four games last weekend across ABC/ESPN, NBC, CBS and Fox averaged 25.3 million viewers, compared to 24.6 million '08. Last year's four games averaged 30.3 million viewers with many more big-name teams playing.
|
NFL WILD CARD WEEKEND AUDIENCE (FOUR GAMES)
|
|
YEAR
|
NETWORKS
|
AVERAGE VIEWERS (000)
|
|
'18
|
ESPN/ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox
|
25,293
|
|
17
|
ESPN/ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox
|
30,274
|
|
16
|
ESPN/ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox
|
32,600
|
|
'15
|
ESPN, NBC, CBS, Fox
|
29,900
|
|
'14
|
NBC (x2), CBS, Fox
|
34,700
|
|
'13
|
NBC (x2), CBS, Fox
|
30,300
|
|
'12
|
NBC (x2), CBS, Fox
|
31,000
|
|
'11
|
NBC (x2), CBS, Fox
|
32,300
|
|
'10
|
NBC (x2), CBS, Fox
|
29,900
|
|
'09
|
NBC (x2), CBS, Fox
|
25,800
|
|
'08
|
NBC (x2), CBS, Fox
|
24,600
|
FRIDAY NIGHT SKATING: In an effort to avoid the NFL Playoffs, the major primetime telecast for the U.S. Figure Skating Championships was moved off of its normal Saturday night slot this year. NBC ended up averaging 4.5 million viewers last Friday night for the women's free skate, which is up from '14 before the Sochi Games, when a Saturday night telecast averaged 4.2 million viewers. That telecast in '14 had competition from an NFL Divisional playoff game. Back in '10, prior to the Vancouver Games, the Saturday primetime skating telecast aired without NFL head-to-head competition, and averaged 5.4 million viewers.
The chart below lists final audience figures from select recent sports telecasts.
| TELECAST |
DATE
|
NET
|
TIME (ET)
|
RAT.
|
VIEWERS
(000)
|
| NFC Wild Card: Saints-Panthers |
1/7
|
Fox
|
4:41-8:00pm
|
17.5
|
31,115
|
Rose Bowl: Georgia-Oklahoma
(CFP semifinal) |
1/1
|
ESPN/
ESPN2
|
5:12-9:22pm
|
n/a
|
26,826
|
| AFC Wild Card: Jaguars-Bills |
1/7
|
CBS
|
1:06-4:40pm
|
15.2
|
25,295
|
| NFC Wild Card: Falcons-Rams |
1/6
|
NBC
|
8:15-11:26pm
|
12.8
|
22,815
|
| AFC Wild Card: Titans-Chiefs |
1/6
|
ESPN/ABC
|
4:20-8:00pm
|
13.0
|
22,153
|
Allstate Sugar Bowl:
Alabama-Clemson (CFP semifinal) |
1/1
|
ESPN/
ESPN2
|
9:22pm-12:03am
|
n/a
|
21,117
|
Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl:
UCF-Auburn |
1/1
|
ESPN
|
12:40-4:40pm
|
4.6
|
8,449
|
Outback Bowl:
South Carolina-Michigan |
1/1
|
ESPN2
|
12:01-3:46pm
|
2.8
|
5,095
|
U.S. Figure Skating Championships
(Women's Free Skate) |
1/5
|
NBC
|
8:00-11:01pm
|
2.7
|
4,484
|
| "Postseason NFL Countdown" |
1/6
|
ABC
|
3:00-4:20pm
|
2.5
|
3,768
|
College basketball:
Michigan State-Ohio State |
1/7
|
CBS
|
4:40-6:30pm
|
2.1
|
3,302
|
| NBA: Cavaliers-Celtics |
1/3
|
ESPN
|
8:01-10:16pm
|
2.0
|
3,231
|
| NBA: Warriors-Rockets |
1/4
|
TNT
|
8:14-10:35pm
|
1.8
|
2,878
|
| U.S. Figure Skating Championships |
1/7
|
NBC
|
3:00-6:00pm
|
1.5
|
2,278
|
| NBA: Thunder-Lakers |
1/3
|
ESPN
|
10:35am-12:48pm
|
n/a
|
1,955
|
| U.S. Figure Skating Championships |
1/6
|
NBC
|
4:00-6:00pm
|
1.3
|
1,932
|
| "Postseason NFL Countdown" |
1/6
|
ESPN
|
2:51-4:20pm
|
n/a
|
1,704
|
| NBA: T'Wolves-Celtics |
1/5
|
ESPN
|
6:59-9:37pm
|
n/a
|
1,595
|
| NBA: Thunder-Clippers |
1/4
|
TNT
|
10:35-1:12am
|
n/a
|
1,543
|
| "NFL Championship Chase" |
1/6
|
ABC
|
2:00-3:00pm
|
1.0
|
1,407
|
High school football: U.S. Army
All-American Game |
1/6
|
NBC
|
1:00-4:00pm
|
0.9
|
1,298
|
| Liga MX: Queretaro-Club America |
1/7
|
Univision
|
6:50-9:00pm
|
0.6
|
1,176
|
| PBR: Buck Off at the Garden |
1/6
|
CBS
|
12:00-1:00pm
|
0.8
|
1,167
|
| College basketball: Florida-Missouri |
1/6
|
CBS
|
1:00-3:30pm
|
0.7
|
1,013
|
| Liga MX: Monterrey-Monarcas |
1/6
|
Univision
|
7:55-10:01pm
|
0.4
|
777
|
College basketball:
Xavier-Providence |
1/6
|
Fox
|
12:03-2:15pm
|
0.5
|
713
|
| Lia MX: Necaxa-Veracruz |
1/6
|
Univision
|
10:01pm-12:00am
|
0.3
|
507
|
"Road to the CFP National
Championship: Georgia" |
1/7
|
ABC
|
4:30-5:00pm
|
0.3
|
449
|
"Road to the CFP National
Championship: Alabama" |
1/7
|
ABC
|
4:00-4:30pm
|
0.3
|
404
|
| "World of X Games: WSL Surfing" |
1/7
|
ABC
|
3:00-4:00pm
|
0.3
|
378
|
