The Vikings Miracle Win Over The Saints Draws Big TV Rating
Sunday's last second “Minneapolis Miracle” victory by the Vikings over the Saints was not only a historic thriller that nearly broke social media, it also scored a large television rating. According to FOX, the game averaged 35.6 million viewers, with a late game peak of 46.1 millions viewers, for the final minutes of the game and of course the unforgettable final play.
The 29-24 thriller was the highest rated NFL game of the season, posting a 19.3 rating and 35 share.
By recent comparison, Sunday’s peak viewership exceeded last week’s College Football National Championship by 16 million.
In addition, it is interesting to contrast how the epic Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals (between the Cavaliers and Warriors) tallied a 15.8 rating/29 share, with 31 million viewers tuning in.
The Vikings vs. Saints late Sunday NFC divisional round game did see a drop of 23 percent from last season’s Cowboys vs. Packers matchup, which featured two of the sport’s most national teams, along with the presence of superstar QB Aaron Rodgers.
Though ratings have been down this season, for the NFL to have a divisional playoff game draw better than an epic college football championship game and highly dramatic NBA Finals Game 7, shows that the league is still generating ratings all other sports organization can only dream of.
