Fox Sports’ NFL playoffs coverage attracts 30-year Saturday night high audience

Fox Sports’ broadcast of the NFL playoff game between Green Bay Packers and San Francisco 49ers has clinched the largest Saturday TV audience in the US for any network in three decades, according to Nielsen.

The matchup, which saw the 49ers stage a remarkable 24-21 comeback win, captivated an average of 37.5 million viewers. This achievement marks the most-watched Saturday television event since the 1994 Lillehammer Winter Olympics on CBS and surpassed the previous high set by the same teams during the Divisional Round in 2022, which attracted 36.9 million viewers.

The peak moment of the game reached an impressive 40.9 million viewers, indicating a significant 31 percent surge compared to the equivalent Saturday night window match-up between New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles last year.

The Packers versus 49ers game secured the third-highest viewership in all NFL matches this season, trailing behind Packers-Cowboys Wild Card Round clash (40.16 million viewers) and the Thanksgiving clash between Washington Commanders and the Cowboys (41.76 million).

The Packers have featured in three of the top four most-viewed matches this season, with their Thanksgiving game against Detroit Lions now ranking fourth with 33.70 million viewers.

The NFL continues to be a ratings powerhouse, with ESPN and ABC’s broadcasting rights secured through a deal inked in March 2021, further expanded in October of the same year to include rights to a divisional wildcard playoff encounter.

The NFL keeps setting viewership records 🤯

Saturday's game between the Green Bay Packers and the San Francisco 49ers averaged 37.5 million viewers

It was the most-watched Saturday telecast on any network since the 1994 Winter Olympics pic.twitter.com/3BwOASHnhh

— Waivly (@Waivly) January 22, 2024

In Sunday’s (Monday morning AEDT) Conference Championships, Baltimore Ravens face Kansas City Chiefs and the 49ers take on the Lions.