The ratings for all four NFL Wild Card games last weekend were down double digits from last year, according to Sports Illustrated.
The overnight Nielsen ratings for the Saturday and Sunday games were collectively down by 11.5 percent. That’s more than the average for the regular season, which saw the ratings for the 2017 season drop by 9.7 percent amid national anthem protests. (RELATED: NFL Ratings Tank–Worst Viewership In Nearly Two Decades)
Greg Olsen of the Carolina Panthers catches the ball as Rafael Bush of the New Orleans Saints defends during the second half of the NFC Wild Card playoff game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on January 7, 2018 in New Orleans. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
The Tennessee Titans’ game against the Kansas City Chiefs (ESPN/ABC) earned a 14.7 rating, which was down 11 percent from last year’s Houston Texans vs Oakland Raiders matchup. The Buffalo Bills-Jacksonville Jaguars game (CBS) scored a 17.2 rating. That’s down by 10 percent compared to last year’s Miami Dolphins-Pittsburgh Steelers game.
The Atlanta Falcons-Los Angeles Rams game (NBC) earned a 14.9 rating, down 10 percent from last year’s matchup between the Detroit Lions and Seattle Seahawks. The Carolina Panthers’ battle against the New Orleans Saints (Fox) scored a 20.4 rating. That’s down by 21 percent compared the previous year for the game between the New York Giants and the Green Bay Packers.
According to another report, the Saints’ win over the Panthers was the lowest-rated game on Fox since 2012. In addition, the Falcons-Rams game scored the lowest Saturday night Wild Card Game rating since 2002.