The Big Lead

NFL Wild Card Viewership Up 7 Percent, Highest Since 2016

Kyle Koster
When the ratings are so high you can't hear.
When the ratings are so high you can't hear. / Adam Glanzman/Getty Images
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Rarely do we get a Wild Card weekend in the NFL when all four games are decent and compelling. Even rarer is the occasion that they are really good and within one score. That's exactly what happened this year, though, and the ratings reflect that.

The NFL was happy to release news that the games averaged 30.5 million viewers, up seven percent from last year, and the highest since 2016. This follows an extremely successful regular season that saw so many people on their couches and barstools glued to their televisions.

The momentum continues to build. Next weekend's matchups are extremely impressive. Patrick Mahomes-Deshaun Watson. A very hot Titans team against Baltimore. Russell Wilson in Lambeau. Upstart Minnesota against San Francisco, who have been upending everyone this year.

There's no reason to think we're sitting here next Monday looking at a ratings dip. But then again, that's why they play the game.

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