Whenever the Green Bay Packers are in the playoffs, the suits in the National Football League and their TV partners smile.

It’s not because they’re pulling for the Green and Gold over other teams in the league. It’s because the Packers, one of the most storied franchises in sports, are a story line that never gets old.

“At NFL meetings, especially on the subject of television, I could always tell the importance of the Packers,” said Andrew Brandt, a former team vice president who now writes about the business of football for the National Football Post. “It was clear what a national fan base we had and how the brand drove ratings and popularity.”

“I think there are really special stories about it,” added Eric Shanks, president and executive producer of Fox Sports. “How many offices do you walk into around the country that have a framed share of the Green Bay Packers? That is a real special story. That’s a connection. Then there are the spectacular pictures of Lambeau Field on television that piques people’s interest.”

This season, the Packers are living large. In addition to helping bring in record ratings for the TV networks, the team also benefitted from a Broadway play about Vince Lombardi, and an acclaimed film about Lombardi that aired on HBO.

The Packers are one of four teams left in the NFC playoff. On Saturday night, they will meet the Atlanta Falcons in Atlanta in a game scheduled for prime time on Fox Sports.

No one doubts the string of record ratings will continue.

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