Vikings-Saints playoff game attracts highest TV viewership of 2017 season
Four lead changes in the final three-plus minutes and a game-winning 61-yard touchdown as time expired Sunday understandably led to the most-watched NFL telecast of the 2017 season.
The Minnesota Vikings’ 29-24 victory over the New Orleans Saints had an estimated audience of 35.645 million viewers with a 19.3 rating and a 35 share, according to estimates released by Fox Sports on Monday.
While viewership set new highs for this season/postseason, the broadcast was off about 27% matched against the comparable game a year ago.
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Fox’s late-afternoon broadcast of the Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys last year had an estimated 48.5 million viewers, the most-watched divisional round game in NFL history.
The Jacksonville Jaguars’ upset victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers on CBS earlier Sunday had an overnight rating of 20.4 with a 42 share, according to the network. That rating is down 7% from last year’s comparable game (Steelers vs. Kansas City Chiefs).
A CBS spokesperson said its viewership totals we not be released until Tuesday.
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