In a not-infrequent occurrence, a Dallas Cowboys game led the NFL ratings race last week.
The Cowboys’ loss to the Giants last Sunday drew a 14.3/26 final rating and 23.3 million viewers on FOX, down 29% and 28%, respectively, from a 20.1 with 33.8 million for the comparable Patriots/Colts game on CBS last year. Keep in mind that the Patriots and Colts were both undefeated entering that matchup.
Ratings for the game peaked fairly early, as FOX drew a 15.4/29 from 5:30-5:45 PM.
The 14.3 rating is the third best of the season so far, behind a 14.7 for Cowboys/Cardinals in October and a 15.3 for Patriots/Jets in September.
While FOX drew the highest rating of the weekend, the network was the only NFL rightsholder to see declining ratings last weekend. The early game on FOX drew an 8.6/19, off 13% from a 9.9 for singleheader coverage in ’07.
Meanwhile, NBC and CBS both saw increased ratings for NFL coverage last week. Single game coverage on CBS drew an 8.0/18, up 1% from a 7.9 for coverage in the comparable timeslot last year.
Sunday Night Football drew healthy ratings on NBC, as Patriots/Colts averaged a 10.6/16 and 16.7 million viewers, up 4% and 1%, respectively, from a 10.2 with 16.5 million for the comparable Cowboys/Eagles game in ’07. The highest rated quarter-hour of the game came from 10:45-11 PM, as NBC averaged an 11.1/18. In a testament to how far the Patriots/Colts rivalry has fallen, the same match-up on the same week last year drew nearly double that rating.
Through Week 9, FOX and ESPN are the only rightsholders to see increased ratings for NFL coverage. FOX is averaging a 10.4 rating, up 5% from ’07, and Monday Night Football is averaging a 9.1 cable rating on ESPN, up 6%.
On the flip side, NBC is averaging a 9.9 rating for Sunday Night Football, down 2% from last year, and CBS has seen the biggest decline — down 8%, to a 9.5 average.
