Indianapolis, Pittsburgh and Buffalo led the way among local markets for NFL games on Sunday.
The Colts’ loss against the Bears on Sunday night drew a 41.7/58 rating on NBC in Indianapolis, the top rating for any NFL telecast among the top 20 television markets. The same game drew a 29.3/44 in Chicago.
Meanwhile, the Steelers’ opener against the Houston Texans earlier in the day drew a 35.8/64 rating in Pittsburgh, compared to a 13.4/28 in Houston. In Buffalo, the Bills’ win over the Seahawks drew a 32.3/56, while the same game drew an 18.8/46 in Seattle. Keep in mind the game began at 10 AM Seattle time.
Dallas was the only other top 20 market to draw a 30+ rating for an NFL game. The Cowboys’ opener against the Browns averaged a 30.3/51 on FOX. In Cleveland, the game finished with a 27.9/49.
In New York, the Jets’ opener against the Dolphins drew a 12.6 on CBS, identical to the Giants’ opener against Washington last Thursday. The game drew a 23.1/41 in Miami/Fort Lauderdale and a 21.8/38 in West Palm Beach. Ratings were very strong in Milwaukee, as the Jets debut of former Packer Brett Favre averaged a 20.9/44 in the market.
The last game of Tom Brady‘s season drew typically solid numbers in New England. The Patriots’ win over the Chiefs drew a 23.2/53 in Boston and a 22.9/47 in Providence, RI. Neither rating could match the 25.9/52 the game drew in Kansas City.
On the other end of the spectrum, the Rams’ first game of the season drew a 12.0/24 in St. Louis, making it the lowest rated Rams’ season opener since the team relocated to the market in 1995. The Rams game was not even the highest rated of the day, as Colts/Bears drew a 15.3/23 in St. Louis.
Among the non-NFL markets, Las Vegas exceeded the national average with an 11.4/20 for Jets/Dolphins, a 16.7/28 for Cowboys/Browns and a 17.7/26 for Colts/Bears. In Los Angeles, not a single NFL telecast drew a double-digit rating on Sunday; the highest rating was a 9.9/19 for Colts/Bears.
Week 1 local NFL ratings.
via PIFeedback.com; all times local
*: local affiliate numbers presented only; game was also available on ESPN
41.7/58: Indianapolis, Bears/Colts (Sun., 9/7, 7:15 PM NBC)
35.8/64: Pittsburgh, Texans/Steelers (Sun., 9/7, 1 PM CBS)
32.3/56: Buffalo, Seahawks/Bills (Sun., 9/7, 1 PM FOX)
32.1/44: Milwaukee, Vikings/Packers* (Mon., 9/8, 6 PM ABC)
30.3/51: Dallas, Cowboys/Browns (Sun., 9/7, 3:15 PM FOX)
29.3/44: Chicago, Bears/Colts (Sun., 9/7, 7:15 PM NBC)
27.9/49: Cleveland, Cowboys/Browns (Sun., 9/7, 4:15 PM FOX)
26.1/44: Jacksonville, Jaguars/Titans (Sun., 9/7, 1 PM CBS)
26.0/41: Washington, WSH/Giants (Thu., 9/4, 7 PM NBC)
25.9/52: Kansas City, Chiefs/Patriots (Sun., 9/7, 12 PM CBS)
25.3/44: Nashville, Jaguars/Titans (Sun., 9/7, 12 PM CBS)
24.7/41: Charlotte, Panthers/Chargers (Sun., 9/7, 4:15 PM FOX)
24.3/40: Minneapolis/St. Paul, Vikings/Packers* (Mon., 9/8, 6 PM ABC)
23.7/47: Baltimore, Bengals/Ravens (Sun., 9/7, 1 PM CBS)
23.6/48: Philadelphia, Rams/Eagles (Sun., 9/7, 1 PM FOX)
23.2/53: Boston, Chiefs/Patriots (Sun., 9/7, 1 PM CBS)
23.1/41: Miami, Jets/Dolphins (Sun., 9/7, 1 PM CBS)
23.0/46: San Diego, Panthers/Chargers (Sun., 9/7, 1:15 PM FOX)
20.8/39: Tampa, Buccaneers/Saints (Sun., 9/7, 1 PM FOX)
20.3/31: Denver, Broncos/Raiders* (Mon., 9/8, 8:15 PM CBS)
18.8/46: Seattle, Seahawks/Bills (Sun., 9/7, 10 AM CBS)
18.8/40: Detroit, Lions/Falcons (Sun., 9/7, 1 PM FOX)
15.6/32: Atlanta, Lions/Falcons (Sun., 9/7, 1 PM FOX)
14.5/29: Phoenix, Cardinals/49ers (Sun., 9/7, 1:15 PM FOX)
13.6/34: San Fran/Oak/San Jose, Cardinals/49ers (Sun., 9/7, 1:15 PM FOX)
13.4/28: Houston, Texans/Steelers (Sun., 9/7, 12 PM CBS)
12.6/30: New York, Jets/Dolphins (Sun., 9/7, 1 PM CBS)
12.6/20: New York, WSH/Giants (Thu., 9/4, 7 PM NBC)
12.0/24: St. Louis, Rams/Eagles (Sun., 9/7, 12 PM FOX)
6.4/11: San Fran/Oak/San Jose, Broncos/Raiders* (Mon., 9/8, 7:15 PM CBS)
