or


[01/11/11 - 08:17 AM]
Most-Watched Wild Card Saturday Ever
NBC further spins the numbers for Saturday, January 8.

[via press release from NBC]

MOST-WATCHED WILD CARD SATURDAY EVER

Jets-Colts (33.4 million) is Most-Watched Wild Card Saturday Game in 16 Years and Most-Watched Primetime Wild Card Saturday Game Ever

Saints-Seahawks (28.4 million) is Most-Watched Wild Card Saturday Game 1 Ever

Best Primetime Saturday Viewership on NBC On Record

Best Primetime Viewership for Any Network Since Academy Awards

NEW YORK - January 11, 2011 - NBC Sports scored the most-watched Wild Card Saturday doubleheader ever, the Jets-Colts primetime game was the most-watched Wild Card Saturday primetime game ever and most-watched Wild Card Saturday game in 16 years, and the Saints-Seahawks afternoon game was the most-watched Wild Card Saturday Game 1 ever, according to official national data released today by The Nielsen Company. The night also set other ratings milestones:

Delivered the best primetime viewership for any network in nearly a year - since The Academy Awards, March 7, 2010 on ABC.

Attracted the biggest Saturday primetime viewership on any network in nearly 17 years since CBS's tabloid-fueled Lillehammer Olympics coverage.

NBC's biggest primetime Saturday audience on record (since the advent of Nielsen People Meters in 1987).

TWO-GAME WILD CARD SATURDAY AVERAGE IS BEST EVER: The two-game average viewership of 30.6 million is the best ever for an NFL Wild Card Saturday doubleheader, surpassing last year's average of 28.6 million by seven percent (NFL Saturday Wild Card games began in January, 1991).

The average household rating of 17.7/31 is up seven percent from last year's two-game average of 16.6/30 (Jets-Bengals and Eagles-Cowboys) and up 20 percent from the two-game average in Jan. 2009 (14.7/26 for Falcons-Cardinals and Colts-Chargers).

JETS-COLTS BEST PRIMETIME SATURDAY WILD CARD EVER: The Jets-Colts game (8:16-11:05 p.m. ET) drew 33.4 million viewers, the most-watched ever for a primetime Wild Card Saturday game and the most for any Wild Card Saturday game since the 1994 season (Chiefs-Dolphins, 33.6 million on Dec. 31, 1994).

The 33.4 million is four percent higher than last year's Eagles-Cowboys game (32.1 million) and 20 percent higher than the Colts-Chargers game in January 2009 (27.8 million).

The household rating of 18.7/31 is up four percent from last year (18.0/30) and up 16 percent over the Jan. 2009 game (16.1/21).

The rating peaked at the end of the game from 11-11:05 at a 21.5/37 as Jets kicker Nick Folk hit a 32-yard FG to give the Jets a 17-16 win.

SAINTS-SEAHAWKS BEST EVER WILD CARD SATURDAY GAME 1: The Saints-Seahawks game (4:35-8 p.m. ET) drew 28.4 million viewers, the most ever for a Wild Card Saturday Game 1.

The 28.4 million is 14 percent higher than last year's Jets-Bengals game (25.0 million) and 35 percent higher than the Falcons-Cardinals Wild Card game in January 2009 (21.0 million).

The household rating of 16.8/31 is up 11 percent from last year (15.2/29) and up 28 percent over the Jan. 2009 game (13.1/26).

The rating for the first game peaked at a 21.5/37 from 7:30-8 p.m. ET.

BEST SATURDAY ON RECORD FOR NBC: For the full primetime night (8-11 p.m.) NBC averaged 33.0 million viewers, NBC's most-watched Saturday night on record (since advent of Nielsen People Meters in 1987) and the most-watched Saturday night on any network since the tabloid-fueled Lillehammer Olympics (Feb. 26, 1994 on CBS, 38.1 million).

The 33.0 million in primetime was the most on any network since ABC's broadcast of the Academy Awards (March 7, 2010).

NBC's previous high Saturday night in the history of Nielsen People Meters was on Feb. 6, 1988 when a combination of Facts of Life, 227, Golden Girls, Amen and Bloopers Special drew 32.5 million viewers.

About NBC Sports

NBC Sports is synonymous with superior production that elevates the event, broad promotion, and mutually-beneficial partnerships. Known as America's Olympic Network, NBC has broadcast 12 Olympic Games, more than any other network. Its ability to amass large audiences with broad promotion, particularly for the Olympics, has resulted in NBC Sports broadcasting nine of the top 10 most-watched events in U.S. television history, including the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games which stands at No. 1 all time with 215 million viewers. In 2009, NBC Sports won the prestigious Peabody Award for its production of the Beijing Games and was named �Best in Sports Television' at the Sports Business Awards.

NBC Sports partners with numerous leagues and governing bodies to broadcast some of the most prestigious properties in sports, including: �NBC Sunday Night Football,' which is the premier primetime NFL game of the week; �Football Night in America,' which is the most-watched NFL studio program; Notre Dame football; the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes; the U.S. Open Championship, THE PLAYERS Championship, and the Ryder Cup; the NHL Winter Classic, NHL �Game of the Week,' and NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs and Final; and Wimbledon and the French Open.





  [january 2011]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
      


· SHOWATCH
(series past and present)
· DEVWATCH
(series in development)
· MOVIEWATCH
(tv movies and mini-series)





most recent ratings | view all posts
[10/24/25 - 02:02 PM]
"20/20" Is Friday's Most-Watched Newsmagazine Across the Board
In addition, "20/20" posted its best Adults 25-54 in more than four months.

[10/24/25 - 02:01 PM]
ABC News' "Nightline" Ranks No. 1 Across the Board, Leading NBC in All Key Demos for the 4th Straight Week
"Nightline" grew year to year across the board: Total Viewers, Adults 25-54, and Adults 18-49.

[10/24/25 - 01:05 PM]
"Dancing with the Stars" Makes Television History - Rising for Fifth Straight Week
The October 21 episode scored 6.63 million Total Viewers and a 1.38 rating among Adults 18-49, hitting new season highs in both demographics.

[10/23/25 - 02:33 PM]
Largest Audience for "NBA Tip-Off" Doubleheader Since 2010 as NBA Returned to NBC and Debuted on Peacock
Tuesday night's audience across NBC and Peacock peaked at 7.1 million viewers from 10:45-11 p.m. ET as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder to a one-point win over the Houston Rockets in double overtime.

[10/23/25 - 11:28 AM]
"High Potential" Rises to Season High as Show Nears Fall Finale
ABC's popular drama rose to a multiplatform season high in Total Viewers (12.50 million) and Adults 18-49 (2.31 rating) after seven days of viewing on ABC, Hulu, Hulu on Disney+ and digital platforms.

[10/22/25 - 03:06 PM]
FOX Sports Delivers Most-Watched ALCS Game Since 2017
9,028,000 viewers tuned in across FOX, FS1, FOX Deportes & FOX Sports streaming services for the Toronto Blue Jays' ALCS Game 7 victory over the Seattle Mariners.

[10/22/25 - 08:07 AM]
ESPN College Football on ABC Delivers Top Three Games Across All Networks for Saturday, Oct. 18 - Off to Best Start Since '09
Coverage of Ole Miss at Georgia averaged 9.8 million viewers.

[10/22/25 - 08:03 AM]
FOX NFL's America's Game of the Week Delivers 25,630,000 Average Viewers for Commanders-Cowboys
Season-to-date, the NFL on FOX is off to its best start to the season since 2014, averaging 19,646,000 viewers and up +4% over last year's season-to-date average.

[10/22/25 - 07:44 AM]
"9-1-1: Nashville" Debuts with Over 12 Million Total Audience to Date
The star-studded, high-octane first-responder drama delivered 7.80 million Total Viewers and 1.51 rating among Adults 18-49, excluding encores.

[10/22/25 - 06:21 AM]
ABC's Telecast of Formula 1 U.S. Grand Prix Draws Event's Largest TV Audience on Record
Viewership peaked at 1.6 million between 4:15-4:30 p.m. as Max Verstappen drove to victory, further tightening up the battle for the F1 driver's championship with only five races left in the season.

[10/21/25 - 12:01 PM]
Netflix Top 10 Week of October 13: "The Woman in Cabin 10" Sails Smoothly to No. 1 in This Week's Top 10
In the final stretch to Halloween, those lured in by the story of the OG horror villain put "Monster: The Ed Gein Story" at No. 1 on the English TV list with 9.5 million views.

[10/17/25 - 01:16 PM]
"Live with Kelly and Mark" Hits Season Highs with Best Audience Performance Since July
"Live" has now ranked as the No. 1 talk show in syndication for 139 consecutive weeks across all key measures.

[10/17/25 - 10:38 AM]
"Dancing with the Stars" Continues Historic Hot Streak - Rising for Fourth Straight Week Since Premiere with 6 Million Total Viewers
Plus: "High Potential" dominated the 10 p.m. hour with 4.15 million Total Viewers and a 0.33 rating among Adults 18-49.

[10/16/25 - 06:01 AM]
ESPN's Monumental 2025 WNBA Season Sets New Viewership Records
Across all networks, the 2025 WNBA Postseason was the most-viewed since 1999.

[10/15/25 - 04:02 PM]
"20/20" Is Friday's No. 1 Program on Broadcast TV
"20/20" increased its lead week to week over "Dateline" in Total Viewers to post its largest of the season.