49ers' thriller over Saints highest-rated Saturday divisional playoff game since 88'
49ers-saints set ratings record
The 49ers' last-minute win over the New Orleans Saints was the most-watched Saturday divisional playoff game since 1988 -- and possibly the biggest audience ever for such a game, according to Bloomberg News.
The game drew a 38 share, Lou D'Ermilio, a spokesman for Fox, told Bloomberg in an email. The Patriots-Broncos game that followed, highlighted by the matchup of Tom Brady-Tim Tebow and which media researchers thought had a chance to draw a record audience, drew a 34 share, according to CBS.
The 49ers' 36-32 victory was viewed by an average of 35.6 million people. The final 21 minutes, which culminated in four lead changes in the final four minutes, averaged 40.6 million viewers, with the audience peaking at 42.5 million for the end of the game.
-- Bay Area News Group