Following are the highest local-market ratings posted among NFL team markets for this year’s playoff games leading up to Super Bowl XXXVIII. The local marks are compared with the posted national ratings for the games. For each section of games, the media markets in which the participating teams are based are listed in bold. Some media markets include areas beyond the specific city listed.
| League championship games |
| Rank | Media market | Rating/share | Game | National rating/share |
| 1 | Charlotte | 50.2/66 | Carolina-Philadelphia | 23.2/35* |
| 2 | Philadelphia | 48.8/62 | Carolina-Philadelphia | |
| 3 | Boston | 46.5/75 | Indianapolis-New England | 24.7/46* |
| 4 | Indianapolis | 46.0/72 | Indianapolis-New England | |
| 5 | Nashville | 36.4/58 | Indianapolis-New England | |
| 6 | Jacksonville | 34.4/53 | Indianapolis-New England | |
| 7 | New Orleans | 33.4/49 | Indianapolis-New England | |
| 8 | Pittsburgh | 32.1/50 | Indianapolis-New England | |
| 9 | Tampa | 31.4/41 | Carolina-Philadelphia | |
| 10 | Buffalo | 31.0/51 | Indianapolis-New England | |
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| Division playoff games |
| Rank | Media market | Rating/share | Game | National rating/share1 |
| 1 | Milwaukee | 54.5/76 | Green Bay-Philadelphia | 23.8/40 |
| 2 | Kansas City | 52.1/79 | Indianapolis-Kansas City | 19.7/42 |
| 3 | Nashville | 46.9/67 | Tennessee-New England | 15.9/27 |
| 4 | St. Louis | 45.2/68 | Carolina-St. Louis | 16.6/32 |
| 5 | Philadelphia | 44.4/63 | Green Bay-Philadelphia | |
| 6 | Indianapolis | 42.8/69 | Indianapolis-Kansas City | |
| 7 | Boston | 42.2/62 | Tennessee-New England | |
| 8 | Charlotte | 36.6/57 | Carolina-St. Louis | |
| 9 | Minneapolis | 33.9/52 | Green Bay-Philadelphia | |
| 10 | Jacksonville | 33.4/48 | Green Bay-Philadelphia | |
| |
| Wild card games |
| Rank | Media market | Rating/share | Game | National rating/share |
| 1 | Milwaukee | 49.0/75 | Seattle-Green Bay | 19.1/39 |
| 2 | Indianapolis | 44.0/61 | Denver-Indianapolis | 16.5/30 |
| 3 | Nashville | 42.8/65 | Tennessee-Baltimore | 14.6/29 |
| 4 | Denver | 38.0/61 | Denver-Indianapolis | |
| 5 | Charlotte | 36.1/52 | Dallas-Carolina | 15.4/25 |
| 6 | Seattle | 35.1/60 | Seattle-Green Bay | |
| 7 | Baltimore | 32.6/55 | Tennessee-Baltimore | |
| 8 | Kansas City | 31.0/43 | Denver-Indianapolis | |
| 9 | Minneapolis | 28.4/58 | Seattle-Green Bay | |
| 10 | Dallas | 27.8/43 | Dallas-Carolina | |
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* Fast national rating. Final national rating was not available at press time.
Research by Alisha Puckett, The Sports Business Daily
Sources: NFL, Nielsen Media Research |
