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[01/22/26 - 07:58 AM]
NBC Sports Delivers Its Most Watched NFL Divisional Playoff Game on Record as Rams-Bears Thriller Averages 45.4 Million Viewers on NBC & Peacock
The audience for Rams-Bears - which increased in every quarter hour from 8:15 p.m. ET until the game-winning score - peaked in the game's closing minutes, with an average of 52.6 million viewers from 9:45-10 pm ET.
[via press release from NBC Sports]

NBC SPORTS DELIVERS ITS MOST WATCHED NFL DIVISIONAL PLAYOFF GAME ON RECORD AS RAMS-BEARS THRILLER AVERAGES 45.4 MILLION VIEWERS ON NBC & PEACOCK

NBC Sports is The Home of Super Bowl LX on Feb. 8

Viewership Peaks at 52.6 Million for Game's Final Minutes

Rams-Bears Tops NBC Sports' 34 NFL Divisional Playoff Games since 1988 (People Meter) - Surpassing by 4+ Million Viewers the Jan. '94 Matchup Between Hall of Fame QBs Joe Montana and Warren Moon

Peacock Powers NBC Sports' Largest NFL Simulstream Audience Ever, Excluding Super Bowls

Chicago Tops All Markets with Massive 34.7/66 Local Rating

STAMFORD, Conn. - January 22, 2026 - Sunday's Los Angeles Rams-Chicago Bears thriller at a frigid Soldier Field delivered NBC Sports' most-watched NFL Divisional Playoff audience on record, with an average of 45.4 million viewers across NBC, Peacock, NBC Sports Digital platforms and NFL Digital platforms, based on official Nielsen Big Data + Panel and digital data from Adobe Analytics.

Led by Matthew Stafford, who passed for 258 yards, and a defense which forced three turnovers, the Rams defeated the Bears 20-17 in overtime. In the win, Los Angeles overcame Bears quarterback Caleb Williams' dazzling fourth-down touchdown pass - while backpedaling near midfield - to Cole Kmet to tie the score with 18 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. The touchdown was officially a 14-yard pass, but the ball traveled 51.2 yards in the air, according to NFL Next Gen Stats.

The audience for Rams-Bears - which increased in every quarter hour from 8:15 p.m. ET until the game-winning score - peaked in the game's closing minutes, with an average of 52.6 million viewers from 9:45-10 pm ET.

Rams-Bears (45.4 million viewers) is NBC Sports' most watched NFL Divisional Playoff on record, since Nielsen's institution of the People Meter in 1988 - covering a total of 34 games. NBC's previous most-watched Divisional Playoff (41.1 million viewers) came in Jan. 1994 as Joe Montana threw three second-half TD passes to lead the Kansas City Chiefs to a 28-20 victory over fellow Hall of Fame QB Warren Moon and the Houston Oilers.

Led by Peacock, NBC Sports Digital delivered its largest NFL simulstream audience ever (excluding Super Bowls) with an Average Minute Audience of 5.3 million viewers across Peacock, NBCSports.com, the NBC Sports app, and NFL Digital properties.

Chicago led all markets with a massive 34.7/66 local rating (top markets below). Rams-Bears averaged a 16.3/55 in Los Angeles - up 15% from the 14.2/57 for the Rams-Eagles NFC Divisional Playoff last season on NBC.

This milestone 20th season of NBC's Sunday Night Football was the most-watched SNF season ever, and culminates with the biggest day in U.S. media - with the presentation of Super Bowl LX on Feb. 8 at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. bookended by the Milan Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games, live and in primetime. NBC broadcasts its 21st Super Bowl, with live streaming coverage on Peacock and the Spanish-language telecast on Telemundo and Universo. Super Bowl LX coverage begins at 1 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock.

TOP 10 METERED MARKETS FOR RAMS-BEARS:
(based on 56 metered markets)

1. Chicago 34.7/66
2. Milwaukee 26.1/56
3. Ft. Myers 25.0/56
4. Minneapolis 23.9/54
5. Kansas City 23.5/59
6. Detroit 23.0/53
7. New Orleans 21.8/52
8. Pittsburgh 21.6/48
9. Richmond 21.3/48
10. Seattle 21.2/65

Source: Nielsen

-- NBC SPORTS --





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