#1 out of 3
sports1d ago
Wild-card round has highest average viewership of six-game format
- The wild-card round in the six-game format drew an average of 31.9 million viewers across five networks.
- The 2026 wild-card viewership represents a 13-percent increase from last year.
- This is the best wild-card audience since the NFL expanded the playoffs to seven teams in 2020.
- Historical comparison shows 2016 had a similar average (32.6 million) for four games then.
- Four games went down to the wire, while two games were lopsided this year.
- The report cites Sports Business Journal as the source for the six-game audience data.
- Networks involved in the broadcast included Fox, CBS, Prime Video, NBC and ABC/ESPN/ESPN2.
- The six-game format’s increase aligns with a broader post-season viewership trend since 2020.
- The analysis notes the wild-card round’s popularity despite varying game competitiveness.
- Overall, the report emphasizes strong engagement across the six-game format this postseason.
Vote 0

