We all heard the mocking tones from the rest of the nation as NBC flexed the Seattle Seahawks and St. Louis Rams to their primetime slot on Sunday night. Many wondered why a game between two poor teams would be placed on NBC’s pride and joy, Sunday Night Football. Besides the obvious one-game showdown for the NFC West crown, it seemed like the Seahawks and Rams wouldn’t draw across the country. Boy was the nation wrong.
The Seahawks and Rams drew the best overnight rating on Sunday Night Football since 2002, when the Minnesota Vikings battled the Baltimore Ravens. Last night’s game drew a 12.6 overnight rating, just short of the 13.4 the Ravens and Vikings drew back in 2002.
As expected, viewer-ship in Seattle and St. Louis was high, but it was clear cities with playoff teams were tuning-in. After the two cities involved, New Orleans came in third. The Saints will play the Seahawks in Seattle this Saturday in the first round of the playoffs. Las Vegas and Oklahoma City rounded out the top-five.
Not bad for our lowly little division. The Seattle Seahawks, winners of the NFC West, will take-on the New Orleans Saints this Saturday at 1:30 p.m. NBC will, again, handle the broadcast duties this week in the first round of the playoffs.