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NFL sees increased viewership for wild-card round, eyes more for divisional games

Last weekend, the NFL said six wild-card games averaged 32 million viewers, a 13% jump from last year and the highest since the 14-team playoff field began in 2020.
After adopting Big Data + Panel last September, Nielsen expanded counting to out-of-home viewers in all states except Hawaii and Alaska and added smart-TV data earlier this year.
Five of the wild-card games posted year-over-year increases, while the regular season averaged 18.7 million viewers, a 10% rise, according to the NFL.
The NFL said it seeks another ratings bump during the division round as the Rams and Bears close on NBC Sunday night, amid scheduling concerns.
Historically, the wild-card round was the most-watched since the 2015 season and ranks fifth-highest since 1988, though it remains below the 50.4 million Kansas City–Buffalo matchup.

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