Dallas Cowboys Draw Giant Ratings Once Again In Playoff Disappointment vs. Packers

Even in one of the most frustrating playoff losses in franchise history, the Dallas Cowboys continue to be the NFL's greatest television draw.

As the most popular team in the NFL, the Dallas Cowboys continue to top the league in terms of rating, even when their on-field product isn't quite as appealing.

Despite Dallas losing 48-32 to the Green Bay Packers in a playoff game that was essentially over in the second quarter, the matchup still brought in massive ratings. According to Fox Sports PR, an average of 40 million viewers tuned in to watch Sunday's game, which peaked at 43.4 million between 6:45 and 7 p.m. ET.

Fox Sports says this matchup is projected to be the network's most-watched wild card game since 2015, as well as a 20 percent increase over last year's New York Giants-Minnesota Vikings game in the same time slot.

Cowboys vs. Packers / Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

According to Sports Media Watch, the Cowboys-Packers game was the second-most-viewed NFL game of the season on average, trailing Dallas' Thanksgiving win over the Washington Commanders that averaged 41.8 million viewers.

The ratings for this game also beat those the Cowboys' wild card game last year, a Monday-night win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that averaged 31.2 million viewers on ABC, ESPN and ESPN2. However, it fell just short of their 2021 wild card loss against the San Francisco 49ers, which averaged 41.5 million viewers on CBS and Nickelodeon in the same 4:30 p.m. ET time slot on that Sunday.

Ratings for Monday's games have not been released yet, but the Cowboys-Packers game drew the most of any on Saturday on Sunday. The Los Angeles Rams-Detroit Lions showdown on Sunday night came the closest, averaging 35.8 million viewers on NBC and Peacock. Saturday afternoon's Cleveland Browns-Houston Texans game averaged 29 million viewers on NBC and Peacock, while the Peacock-exclusive Miami Dolphins-Kansas City Chiefs showdown drew 23 million later that night.

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The Cowboys drawing such massive viewership even in an embarrassing loss is somewhat of a double-edged sword. While getting that many eyeballs on them is great for them and the league financially, it also means that many people saw their downfall in real time.