NFL Preseason: ESPN’s Four-Game Slate Down From Last Year

Fewer viewers tuned into the NFL preseason on ESPN.

ESPN averaged 4.257 million viewers for coverage of the 2012 NFL preseason, down 14% from last year (4.965M). Three of the four games had declines compared to last year.

In particular, Thursday’s Cardinals/Titans game earned 3.362 million viewers — down 27% from Washington/Ravens in Week 3 last year (4.614M), and down 41% from Colts/Packers in Week 3 of the 2010 preseason (5.729M).

Cardinals/Titans earned the smallest audience of the preseason on ESPN, trailing even Packers/Chargers in Week 1 (3.386M) — a game that aired opposite the Olympics.

Overall, the game ranks as the least-viewed preseason matchup on ESPN since at least 2007.

Thursday marked the second time in a week that ESPN suffered a double-digit drop in viewership for the preseason. On Monday, the Week 2 Eagles/Patriots game drew 5.066 million viewers, down 13% from Bears/Giants in Week 2 last year (5.853M), but virtually even with Cardinals/Titans in Week 2 of the 2010 preseason (5.060M).

Viewership For NFL Preseason Games on ESPN
With comparisons to 2011 and 2010

(Four-game average from ESPN; Thursday’s numbers from The Futon Critic; Monday’s numbers from The Futon Critic)