Divisional Playoff Ratings Down From 2007

Monday, January 12, 2009


On the surface, the matchups on Sunday seemed like they would carry the ratings for both Fox and CBS, but the numbers are out and that was definitely not the case. Every single game was down from 2007, with the highlight being an over twenty-one percent drop for the Cardinals-Panthers slot. Here are the numbers via Sports Business Daily....

Ravens-Titans (CBS): 17.0
2007 Seahawks-Packers (FOX): 18.5 (-8.1%)

Cardinals-Panthers (FOX): 15.8
2007 Jaguars-Patriots (CBS: 20.2 (-21.8%)

Eagles-Giants (FOX): 20.9
2007 Chargers-Colts (CBS): 21.2 (-1.4%)

Chargers-Steelers (CBS): 21.4
2007 Giants-Cowboys (FOX): 25.8 (-17.1%)

Obviously the blowout win for Arizona didn't help things, and the numbers were still not that bad overall, but this past weekend drop-off will be nothing compared to the Championship Games. A lot of people consider NFL ratings bullet-proof, but there hasn't been a set of Championships with the potential to be this bad in years. We shall see though.

Posted by Awful Announcing at 1:07 PM

8 Comments:

I am surprise to see the Eagles and Giants game down as it was a East Coast matchup and a rivalry. Maybe the main reason was the games weren't that close this year. Anyway, I want to see a Pennsylvania Super Bowl. Eagles vs Steelers, that'll be awesome!

pattywagon said...
Jan 12, 2009, 1:15:00 PM  

I don't know why the NFL thinks they can do well on Saturday night. I mean I know diehards like myself will watch but casual fans and young people go out. It didn't help that the worst game of the four was on the night slot.

The NFL should either go back to two games on Saturday afternoon or go to a Sunday triple-header, with just one game on Saturday.

Ted Hill said...
Jan 12, 2009, 1:18:00 PM  

People want to watch big offenses and not good defenses. It's pretty simple why the casual fan is not watching.

GMoney said...
Jan 12, 2009, 1:30:00 PM  

Yeah, the fact that the top 3 defenses in the NFL are in the conference championships is not going to do much to bring in the casual fan. Unless we get the Battle of Pennsylvania, this will probably a low-rated Super Bowl as well.

Personally (and as an Eagles fan and a resident of PA in a college where Eagles and Steelers fans are fairly even in number), this weekend has the potential to be very entertaining (especially if both PA teams win). But unlike last year with the Pats Road to Perfection, there is very little casual fan draw this year.

Justin F. said...
Jan 12, 2009, 2:54:00 PM  

Safe to say that NBC is dreading the thought of a Arizona/Baltimore Super Bowl.

Anonymous said...
Jan 12, 2009, 3:24:00 PM  

Bad is a ridiculous overstatement for the NFL ratings. Any one of those numbers from last week would have been the #1 primetime show of the week.

And comparing them to last year, that's ridiculous. Just from the division games, you had Favre, undefeated Pats, Peyton Manning & the Giants vs. the Cowboys on Sunday afternoon.

Last year's Giants/Packers title game was, I think, the highest rated NFC championship game ever. Or in a really long time, with like 50 million people watching.

I don't think NBC, Fox or CBS is all that worried about "bad" ratings that are still better than any sport or show on television.

Anonymous said...
Jan 12, 2009, 3:48:00 PM  

I disagree Michael.

The Super Bowl is an event that is widely viewed thoughout the world no matter who the teams are.

It isn't like the NBA and NHL; or even MLB, where only certain teams get big ratings in the champoiship games.

Anonymous said...
Jan 12, 2009, 8:17:00 PM  

I totally agree that the Super Bowl is one of those "must see" events, but I just think that a non-attractive match-up will hurt the rating from some of the casual fans that only watch the Super Bowl. I'm not saying that nobody will watch, I'm just saying I think the rating would be lower, again nothing earth shattering. It would still do something in the low 40s probably.

Anonymous said...
Jan 13, 2009, 1:08:00 AM  

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