FOX bosses love the Dallas Cowboys and it is easy to understand why. The team has tremendous national appeal. That was evident on Sunday as 45.7 million people tuned in to see the team lose to the San Francisco 49ers in the divisional round of the NFL Playoffs.
The audience is significant. First, it is the second highest-rated Divisional Round game on record. The top spot is held by the Cowboys’ loss to the Packers in 2017. That game drew 45.8 million viewers. It is also the most-watched TV broadcast since the Super Bowl last year.
NFL football is always a ratings driver, but the Cowboys have been at the center of some major milestones this season. Last week, their win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was the most-watched playoff game in ESPN history. On Thanksgiving Day, more than 42 million people tuned in to see the Cowboys take on the Giants, making it the most-watched regular season game in history.
Overall, the Divisional Round continued the positive ratings trend for the NFL. Across all four games, the league averaged 37.1 million viewers. While that is a 3% drop from last year, it is still the third highest-rated Divisional Round of all time.
