Fans continued to make the NFL appointment viewing, resulting in record TV numbers for the Divisional Playoffs. An average of 36.6 million viewers watched the four playoff games last weekend, the most ever for an NFL Divisional Weekend and a four percent increase from last season’s previous record (35.1 million). Sunday’s New York Giants-Green Bay Packers game on FOX drew and average of 45.1 million viewers to rank as the most-watched Divisional Playoff game ever topping the record set last year by Jets-Patriots (43.5 million viewers). Giants-Packers is the most-watched show since Super Bowl XLV. Saturday’s New Orleans Saints-San Francisco 49ers on FOX (35.6 million viewers) and Denver Broncos-New England Patriots on CBS (34.2 million viewers) respectively ranked as the most watched Saturday early and late Divisional Playoff games ever. All four Divisional Playoff games averaged more than 30 million viewers for the second consecutive year and accounted for the four most-watched shows on television last week (chart below).
Most-Watched Shows on Television, Week of Jan. 9-15, 2012
Program Average Viewers
1. FOX Sunday Divisional Playoff (Giants-Packers) 45.1 million
2. FOX Saturday Divisional Playoff (Saints-49ers) 35.6 million
3. CBS Saturday Divisional Playoff (Broncos-Patriots) 34.2 million
4. CBS Sunday Divisional Playoff (Texans-Ravens) 31.0 million
5. ESPN BCS Championship (Alabama-LSU) 24.2 million