Rams-Panthers averages 28 million viewers on Saturday afternoon

The NFL wild-card weekend game between the Los Angeles Rams and the Carolina Panthers drew 28 million viewers on Fox, marking a significant seven-percent increase over the previous year's early Saturday wild-card game between the Chargers and Texans on CBS and Nickelodeon. The Rams-Panthers matchup, a high-scoring contest with four lead changes in the fourth quarter, became the most-watched Saturday afternoon wild-card game since the Saints faced the Seahawks in January 2011. Despite concerns that the Panthers, with an 8-9 record and a division title secured under unusual circumstances, would dampen ratings, the game's competitive nature contributed to its strong viewership numbers.