Lions-Buccaneers was NBC's most-watched divisional-round game since 1994

(Detroit News) On Sunday night at Ford Field, the Detroit Lions and Tampa Bay Buccaneers teamed up to achieve something that hasn't been done in more than 30 years.

NBC on Monday announced the Lions' 31-23 win over the Buccaneers at Ford Field in Detroit was the network’s most-watched NFL divisional round playoff game since 1994 and averaged a total audience delivery of 40.4 million viewers, peaking at 49.1 million as the Buccaneers attempted a last-gasp effort to tie the game.

The Lions started picking up tongue-in-cheek tags as “America’s team” after appearing on HBO’s “Hard Knocks” prior to last season, and it appears that's become a reality as folks wait to learn how this story will end.

The Lions have been featured on an NBC broadcast for each of their playoff wins. NBC’s broadcast of Matthew Stafford’s return to Detroit in a 24-23 Lions win over the Los Angeles Rams garnered an average of 35.8 million viewers, becoming TV’s most-watched primetime show since Super Bowl LVII in February. It was the second-most watched NFL wild-card game on NBC since 1988, according to a release. ...............(more)

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2024/01/22/detroit-lions-tampa-bay-buccaneers-nbc-viewers-divisional-round/72318100007/