Drew Brees # 9 of the New Orleans Saints dives into the end zone to score a one-yard touchdown against the Chicago Bears during the fourth quarter in the NFC Wild Card Playoff game at Mercedes Benz Superdome on January 10, 2021 in New Orleans , Louisiana.
Chris Graythen | Getty Images
The National Football League came out swinging for the playoff openers, led by ViacomCBS Sports and the Nickelodeon simulcast, which collectively attracted over 30 million viewers.
CBS’s Sunday airing between the New Orleans Saints and Chicago Bears drew about 30 million viewers, and the children’s version on Nickelodeon attracted about 2 million, becoming “Nickelodeon’s most watched show among total viewers in nearly four years.” said the network.
The NFL’s attempt to recruit younger viewers has been praised for its Nickelodeon-themed digital effects and social media commentary. The game saw the Saints beat the Bears 21-9, and even Saints coach Sean Payton was downsized by Nickelodeon in the post game.
The NBC Sports Pittsburgh Steelers-Cleveland Browns game on Sunday also averaged 26 million across all platforms and 24.8 million viewers on NBC, and peaked at 27.6 million viewers around 9:15 am to 9:30 pm. The network said it was the most watched primetime show on television since Super Bowl LIV last February.
The Browns beat the Steelers 48-37 for the club’s first win since 1995. And it could be the last time old quarterback Ben Roethlisberger will be wearing a Steelers uniform.
Ben Roethlisberger # 7 of the Pittsburgh Steelers in action against Adrian Clayborn # 94 of the Cleveland Browns on January 11, 2021 at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Justin K. Aller | Getty Images
Roethlisberger, who threw four interceptions in the game, will net a $ 41 million salary cap for the team next season, leading to speculation that the Steelers could part with the 38-year-old play-caller, who turns 39 in March.
Saturday’s NBC playoff game, which featured another longtime quarterback who did switch teams, Tom Brady, averaged 21.4 million viewers as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat the Washington Football Team.
Brady and Saints quarterback Drew Brees will face each other for the third time this season as the Saints will host the Bucs this weekend. The duo helped Fox Sports attract more than 25 million viewers during their first game in Week 1.
Fox said Saturday’s game between the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks drew an average of 23.9 million viewers on his channel. ESPN reported 24.8 million viewers for its Baltimore Ravens-Tennessee Titans megacast. The Disney network broadcast the game through its ABC and ESPN channels.