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NFL Playoff Ratings Have Been Through The Roof

The NFL's 2024 Divisional Round continues to show signs of audience fluctuation, with the Sunday matchup between the Rams and Eagles drawing an average of 37.8 million viewers, according to NBC.

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While that figure ranks as the fourth-largest audience for a divisional round broadcast since 1988, it still fell short of the 40.4 million viewers who tuned in for the Lions-Buccaneers game in Detroit last year. This marks the latest example of a slight dip in NFL viewership compared to 2023, a trend that has raised some eyebrows.

Across the first three games of this year's divisional round, the total average viewership stands at 34.7 million, down from 36.7 million during the same period last year.

While the Saturday afternoon audience did see a modest increase from 32.3 million to 32.7 million, the Saturday night window saw a more significant decline—from 37.5 million to 33.6 million.

The reasons behind these shifts remain open to interpretation, but the overall dip in viewership may be attributed to a variety of factors, including competition from other entertainment, changing viewing habits, or even the perceived competitiveness of the matchups.

The final piece of the 2024 divisional round viewership puzzle hinges on the Sunday night game between the Ravens and Bills. To match last year's per-game average of 40 million, this game would need to pull in an eye-popping 55.9 million viewers—a number that seems unlikely, though it is possible with the right combination of drama and star power.

Ultimately, while the NFL still draws massive numbers, it's clear that the league faces some challenges when it comes to maintaining its historic levels of audience engagement. How the Ravens-Bills game performs will offer a clearer picture of whether the NFL can recapture the momentum it enjoyed in 2023.