The Detroit Lions’ playoff triumph over the Buccaneers drew an impressive average of 37.1 million viewers on NBC.
This compelling viewership put the game slightly behind another divisional-rivalry between the San Francisco 49ers and the Green Bay Packers, holding a viewership of 37.5 million on Fox.
Both Green Bay and San Francisco, long-standing giants of the American football scene, enjoy a widespread and loyal fanbase across the nation compared to the Lions.
However, the balance seems to be shifting as Detroit rises in popularity. With each of their victory, the Lions are establishing a strong fanbase crossing regional barriers.
Their thrilling win over Tampa Bay attracted a total average audience of 40.4 million, inclusive of streaming numbers. This viewership signifies the most-watched divisional game on NBC since 1994.
Detroit was ready for its closeup, and it got one, with 40.4 million on average watching Bucs-Lions on NBC and @peacock. https://t.co/sMjVIjCmcT
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) January 23, 2024
A week earlier, the Lions’ victory over Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams commanded an average viewership of 31.9 million on NBC.
This game clinched the title of the most-watched primetime program across genres since last year’s Super Bowl, including streaming, that game averaged 35.8 million viewers in total.
If we look at the numbers, both of the Lions playoff games are predicted to rank amongst the top 10 most-watched programs on TV in 2024.
Following the wave of success, the Lions are set to take the stage again. Next week, they will travel to San Francisco to face off against the 49ers in the NFC conference championship game.
This much-anticipated game, lined up at 6:30 p.m on Fox, is expected to continue the streak of high viewer engagement.
