NFL's ratings slide continues through divisional playoffs

Field Level Media|published: Tue 21st January, 21:42 2025

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen reads off the play in the huddle during first half action at the Buffalo Bills divisional game against the Baltimore Ravens at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park on Jan. 19, 2025.

An action-packed Sunday that featured two divisional-round playoff games didn't prevent the NFL from seeing its ratings decline even further.

The Bills hosted the Baltimore Ravens in an AFC affair that kicked off at 6:30 p.m. ET, with an average of 42.2 million viewers tuning into Buffalo's 27-25 victory. It marked a 16 percent drop in audience size compared to the divisional game that ran in the same time slot last year.

Granted, the meeting between the Bills and Ravens had some stiff competition, as the divisional game in the nighttime slot last season was a battle between Buffalo and the Chiefs that Kansas City won 27-24. An average of 50.4 million viewers saw that one, making it the most-watched divisional-round game in NFL history.

In other action Sunday, the Philadelphia Eagles topped the visiting Los Angeles Rams 28-22 in an NFC matchup that totaled 37.8 million viewers. That game started at 3 p.m. ET and couldn't generate the audience of 40.4 million that tuned into the comparable game in 2024 -- marking a six percent drop.

Still, Philadelphia's victory over the Rams ended up having the fourth-best rating in NBC history for a divisional playoff game, according to Nielsen.

Viewership had also been down during the regular season, the wild-card round of the playoffs and the other divisional games.

--Field Level Media