Week 1 of the NFL season was very good to all but one of the NFL’s television partners.
CBS opened its NFL season with a 7.1 rating and 11.4 million viewers for regional coverage on Sunday, down 25% and 24%, respectively, from a 9.4/21 and 15 million last year. The 7.1 rating is the lowest Week 1 NFL rating on CBS since 2000.
CBS drew the lowest rating of any NFL television partner during Week 1. Even Chargers/Raiders on ESPN Monday night — which began after 10 PM ET — drew a higher rating than CBS’ regional game (7.6 to 7.1).
Additionally, CBS’ regional coverage was the only NFL telecast during Week 1 to have a decrease in ratings. The other six games — 2 each on NBC, ESPN and FOX — were each up double-digits.
