2011-12 NFL Numbers Game

Posted by | 01/11/2012 at 11:13 pm

Ratings and viewership for every single NFL telecast during the 2011-12 regular season.

The most-viewed NFL telecast of the season was Dolphins/Cowboys on Thanksgiving Day (30.901M, CBS), marking the second straight year that the Cowboys’ Thanksgiving Day game was the top telecast of the season. The highest rated telecast was the Week 15 national window on December 18, featuring Patriots/Broncos in 79% of markets (17.6, CBS).

A record 37 NFL telecasts earned at least 20 million viewers during the regular season, up from 35 such games last year. That said, only thirteen telecasts drew at least 25 million viewers, down from 17 telecasts last year.

On the flip side, twelve telecasts drew less than 10 million viewers, up from eight last season and seven two seasons ago.

Not surprisingly, the lowest rated and least-viewed telecast of the season aired on NFL Network. The net’s December 15 Jaguars/Falcons game earned a 2.5 and 3.972 million viewers, the only telecast of the season to sink below four million viewers.

Excluding NFL Network telecasts, the season’s lowest rated telecast was the Week 17 regional window on FOX (4.5), and the least-viewed was the Week 15 regional window on CBS (7.4M).

FOX and NFL Network were the only NFL broadcast partners to avoid declines in ratings and viewership during the regular season. Additional details on the networks’ season averages are available here.

Ratings/Viewership For NFL Games During the 2011-12 Regular Season

WK #
Date
Window
Featured Game
Net
U.S. Rating
vs. ’10
Viewers (000)
vs. ’10
1
 Thu., 9/08/11
Kickoff
 NO 34, GB 42 NBC
16.0
-3%
27,169
-1%
Sun., 9/11/11
Single
 Regional action CBS
9.1
-6%
15,496
-4%
Regional
 PHI 31, STL 13 (46%) FOX
8.0
-1%
13,044
0%
National
 NYG 14, WSH 28 (63%) FOX
15.3
-7%
25,802
-8%
SNF
 DAL 24, NYJ 27 NBC
15.3
2%
25,766
2%
Mon., 9/12/11
MNF
 NE 38, MIA 24 ESPN
9.1
-3%
14,568
-3%
MNF
 OAK 23, DEN 20 ESPN
7.1
-7%
11,109
-7%
2
 Sun., 9/18/11
Single
 CHI 13, NO 30 (38%) FOX
13.2
25%
22,530
27%
Regional
 Regional action CBS
8.5
-6%
13,558
-9%
National
 SD 21, NE 35 (74%) CBS
13.3
-18%
22,662
-16%
SNF
 PHI 31, ATL 35 NBC
14.3
4%
23,424
1%
Mon., 9/19/11
MNF
 STL 16, NYG 28 ESPN
7.8
-17%
11,922
-21%
3
 Sun., 9/25/11
Single
 Regional action CBS
11.5
-10%
18,898
-15%
Regional
 NYG 29, PHI 16 (69%) FOX
8.4
5%
13,293
4%
National
 GB 27, CHI 17 (81%) FOX
14.1
1%
23,995
4%
SNF
 PIT 23, IND 20 NBC
12.2
8%
20,357
12%
Mon., 9/26/11
MNF
 WSH 16, DAL 18 ESPN
10.6
-2%
17,104
-2%
4
 Sun., 10/02/11
Single
 DET 34, DAL 30 (35%) FOX
14.0
32%
23,308
32%
Regional
 Regional action CBS
7.1
-14%
11,050
-19%
National
 DEN 23, GB 49 (59%) CBS
13.6
-1%
23,014
-1%
SNF
 NYJ 17, BAL 34 NBC
11.5
-8%
18,900
-10%
Mon., 10/03/11
MNF
 IND 17, TB 24 ESPN
7.0
-22%
10,837
-22%
5
 Sun., 10/09/11
Single
 PHI 24, BUF 31 (29%) FOX
9.9
-15%
16,006
-17%
Regional
 Regional action CBS
7.1
9%
11,224
7%
National
 NYJ 21, NE 30 (81%) CBS
13.6
7%
22,598
9%
SNF
 GB 25, ATL 14 NBC
13.4
30%
22,046
31%
Mon., 10/10/11
MNF
 CHI 13, DET 24 ESPN
10.3
-4%
16,378
-5%
6
 Sun., 10/16/11
Single
 Regional action CBS
8.8
-31%
14,533
-32%
Regional
 SF 25, DET 19 (33%) FOX
10.5
44%
17,201
45%
National
 DAL 16, NE 20 (88%) FOX
17.1
9%
28,443
9%
SNF
 MIN 10, CHI 39 NBC
10.1
-14%
16,568
-13%
Mon., 10/17/11
MNF
 MIA 6, NYJ 24 ESPN
7.8
26%
12,062
25%
7
 Sun., 10/23/11
Single
 Regional action CBS
9.7
4%
15,803
6%
Regional
 ATL 23, DET 16 (40%) FOX
8.2
-13%
13,019
-15%
National
 GB 33, MIN 27 (83%) FOX
14.6
11%
24,267
11%
SNF
 IND 7, NO 62 NBC
7.6
-51%
12,465
-51%
Mon., 10/24/11
MNF
 BAL 7, JAX 12 ESPN
6.1
-46%
9,275
-48%
8
 Sun., 10/30/11
Single
 DET 45, DEN 10 (29%) FOX
10.3
20%
17,110
23%
Regional
 Regional action CBS
9.1
11%
13,942
6%
National
 NE 17, PIT 25 (85%) CBS
14.6
-4%
24,564
-3%
SNF
 DAL 7, PHI 34 NBC
13.8
29%
22,994
27%
Mon., 10/31/11
MNF
 SD 20, KC 23 ESPN
7.9
7%
12,032
1%
9
 Sun., 11/06/11
Single
 Regional action CBS
9.8
0%
16,160
-1%
Regional
 TB 16, NO 27 (41%) FOX
8.6
-10%
14,194
-8%
National
 NYG 24, NE 20 (55%) FOX
16.7
2%
28,213
2%
SNF
 BAL 23, PIT 20 NBC
13.3
15%
22,121
14%
Mon., 11/07/11
MNF
 CHI 30, PHI 24 ESPN
10.7
16%
16,847
12%
10
 Thu., 11/10/11
TNF
 OAK 24, SD 17 NFLN
3.3
6%
5,277
5%
Sun., 11/13/11
Single
 Regional action CBS
11.5
20%
19,003
21%
Regional
 NO 26, ATL 23 (65%) FOX
7.7
-6%
12,444
-5%
National
 NYG 20, SF 27 (70%) FOX
15.6
1%
25,938
-1%
SNF
 NE 37, NYJ 16 NBC
12.9
1%
20,918
-1%
Mon., 11/14/11
MNF
 MIN 7, GB 45 ESPN
8.7
-6%
14,188
-6%
11
 Thu., 11/17/11
TNF
 NYJ 13, DEN 17 NFLN
4.3
30%
7,050
30%
Sun., 11/20/11
Single
 TB 26, GB 35 (39%) FOX
12.2
3%
20,025
-1%
Regional
 Regional action CBS
6.9
-19%
10,752
-21%
National
 SD 20, CHI 31 (79%) CBS
13.0
-8%
21,462
-9%
SNF
 PHI 17, NYG 10 NBC
12.5
-10%
20,305
-12%
Mon., 11/21/11
MNF
 KC 3, NE 34 ESPN
7.8
8%
12,344
6%
12
 Thu., 11/24/11
Special
 GB 27, DET 15 FOX
14.8
10%
30,171
9%
Special
 MIA 19, DAL 20 CBS
14.3
3%
30,901
-3%
TNF
 SF 6, BAL 16 NFLN
5.3
56%
10,681
50%
Sun., 11/27/11
Single
 CHI 20, OAK 25 (40%) FOX
10.4
12%
17,245
12%
Regional
 Regional action CBS
9.9
0%
15,568
-7%
National
 NE 38, PHI 20 (72%) CBS
15.5
1%
26,246
-1%
SNF
 PIT 13, KC 9 NBC
12.3
8%
20,344
7%
Mon., 11/28/11
MNF
 NYG 24, NO 49 ESPN
9.3
33%
14,423
29%
13
 Thu., 12/01/11
TNF
 PHI 14, SEA 31 NFLN
3.6
9%
5,945
10%
Sun., 12/04/11
Single
 Regional action CBS
11.5
34%
19,010
34%
Regional
 DEN 35, MIN 32 (61%) FOX
8.8
-10%
14,453
-8%
National
 GB 38, NYG 35 (77%) FOX
17.6
8%
29,774
9%
SNF
 DET 17, NO 31 NBC
11.5
-14%
18,896
-16%
Mon., 12/05/11
MNF
 SD 38, JAX 14 ESPN
6.1
-39%
9,466
-43%
14
 Thu., 12/08/11
TNF
 CLE 3, PIT 14 NFLN
4.0
21%
6,578
22%
Sun., 12/11/11
Single
 CHI 10, DEN 13 (42%) FOX
13.6
30%
22,207
27%
Regional
 Regional action CBS
9.3
-3%
14,535
-6%
National
 OAK 16, GB 46 (95%) CBS
12.7
-27%
20,789
-32%
SNF
 NYG 37, DAL 34 NBC
14.9
-2%
24,516
-5%
Mon., 12/12/11
MNF
 STL 13, SEA 30 ESPN
6.2
-19%
9,880
-17%
15
 Thu., 12/15/11
TNF
 JAX 14, ATL 41 NFLN
2.5
-14%
3,972
-19%
Sat., 12/17/11
Special
 DAL 31, TB 15 NFLN
3.3
–
5,615
–
Sun., 12/18/11
Single
 WSH 23, NYG 10 FOX
14.4
11%
23,400
7%
Regional
 Regional action CBS
4.9
-34%
7,400
-38%
National
 NE 41, DEN 23 (79%) CBS
17.6
17%
29,700
16%
SNF
 BAL 14, SD 34 NBC
10.1
-28%
16,578
-31%
Mon., 12/19/11
MNF
 PIT 3, SF 20 ESPN
10.1
2%
16,677
-2%
16
 Thu., 12/22/11
TNF
 HOU 16, IND 19 NFLN
2.8
17%
4,583
4%
Sat., 12/24/11
Single
 Regional action CBS
8.3
-39%
14,643
-40%
Regional
 NYG 29, NYJ 14 (72%) FOX
8.0
19%
13,830
22%
National
 PHI 20, DAL 7 (88%) FOX
12.9
-5%
22,878
-6%
Sun., 12/25/11
SNF
 CHI 21, GB 35 NBC
12.6
-9%
24,019
1%
Mon., 12/26/11
MNF
 ATL 16, NO 45 ESPN
9.2
-18%
15,638
-18%
17
 Sun., 1/01/12
Regional
 Regional action CBS
8.1
11%
13,331
8%
National
 CAR 17, NO 45 (59%) FOX
11.6
-21%
19,596
-25%
Regional
 TB 24, ATL 45 (89%) FOX
4.5
-53%
7,662
-52%
National
 Regional action CBS
15.1
56%
27,004
61%
SNF
 DAL 14, NYG 31 NBC
15.7
39%
27,624
43%

(Week 15 numbers courtesy Austin Karp, Sports Business Daily)

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