With FOX, ESPN and NFL Network having their most-viewed NFL seasons ever and NBC having its top season since regaining rights to the league in ’06, perhaps its no surprise that CBS set records of its own.
CBS averaged an 11.1 rating and 18.747 million viewers for regular season NFL games during the 2010-11 season, up 7% in ratings and 9% in viewership from last year (10.4, 17.211 mil), and up 11% and 16%, respectively, from two years ago (10.0, 16.211 mil).
This marks the highest rated, most-viewed NFL season on CBS since the network reacquired rights to the league in the 1998-99 season.
Moreover, CBS averaged the highest average viewership for the AFC broadcast package on record, and the highest average rating since the 1995-96 season.
Despite the strong numbers, CBS finished third out of the five NFL rights-holders during the season, behind NBC (13.0, 21.881 mil) and FOX (11.7, 20.100 mil). Only cable networks ESPN (9.1, 14.657 mil) and NFL Network (3.2, 5.705 mil) averaged lower numbers.
In sixteen of the past seventeen seasons, the NFL’s AFC rights-holder (CBS since 1998-99, NBC previously) has been the lowest rated of the league’s broadcast network partners.
The NFL national window on CBS (nine telecasts) averaged 14.3 rating and 21.9 million viewers, ahead of NBC’s Sunday Night Football, but behind the national window on FOX (15.2, 25.9 mil).
CBS aired the highest rated NFL game of the season (NE/CHI*: 17.5, 12/12/10), and three of the five most-viewed.
Ratings/Viewership For NFL on CBS During 2010-11 Season
| Date | Window | Featured Game | Rating | +/- | Viewers (000) | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun., 9/12/10 |
Single
|
CIN 24, NE 38 |
9.7
|
37%
|
16,175
|
42%
|
| Sun., 9/19/10 |
Regional
|
MIA 14, MIN 10 |
9.0
|
6%
|
14,830
|
6%
|
|
National
|
NE 14, NYJ 28 |
16.2
|
12%
|
27,010
|
13%
|
|
| Sun., 9/26/10 |
Regional
|
TEN 29, NYG 10 |
8.0
|
18%
|
12,836
|
16%
|
|
National
|
IND 27, DEN 13 |
14.0
|
28%
|
23,134
|
27%
|
|
| Sun., 10/3/10 |
Single
|
BAL 17, PIT 14 |
10.6
|
5%
|
17,606
|
6%
|
| Sun., 10/10/10 |
Regional
|
KC 9, IND 19 |
6.5
|
-3%
|
10,463
|
1%
|
|
National
|
TEN 34, DAL 27 |
12.7
|
even
|
20,787
|
-1%
|
|
| Sun., 10/17/10 |
Single
|
BAL 20, NE 23 |
12.8
|
16%
|
21,484
|
20%
|
| Sun., 10/24/10 |
Regional
|
PIT 23, MIA 22 |
9.4
|
-18%
|
15,308
|
-17%
|
|
National
|
NE 23, SD 20 |
13.1
|
-22%
|
21,918
|
-23%
|
|
| Sun., 10/31/10 |
Single
|
JAX 35, DAL 17 |
8.6
|
2%
|
13,963
|
3%
|
| Sun., 11/7/10 |
Regional
|
MIA 10, BAL 26 |
9.6
|
10%
|
15,419
|
11%
|
|
National
|
IND 24, PHI 26 |
16.3
|
38%
|
27,789
|
44%
|
|
| Sun., 11/14/10 |
Single
|
NYJ 26, CLE 20
|
9.6
|
-2%
|
15,676
|
even
|
| Sun., 11/21/10 |
Regional
|
HOU 27, NYJ 30
|
8.5
|
12%
|
13,564
|
12%
|
|
National
|
IND 28, NE 31
|
14.2
|
10%
|
23,596
|
8%
|
|
| Thu., 11/25/10 |
Special
|
NE 45, DET 24
|
13.4
|
21%
|
27,753
|
26%
|
| Sun., 11/28/10 |
Single
|
JAX 20, NYG 24
|
9.3
|
-6%
|
15,420
|
-2%
|
| Sun., 12/5/10 |
Single
|
OAK 28, SD 13
|
8.6
|
-14%
|
14,162
|
-13%
|
| Sun., 12/12/10 |
Regional
|
CIN 7, PIT 23
|
9.6
|
-1%
|
15,498
|
-1%
|
|
National
|
NE 36, CHI 7
|
17.4
|
18%
|
30,245
|
25%
|
|
| Sun., 12/19/10 |
Regional
|
JAX 24, IND 34
|
7.4
|
10%
|
11,927
|
15%
|
|
National
|
NYJ 22, PIT 17
|
15.0
|
-1%
|
25,677
|
-1%
|
|
| Sun., 12/26/10 |
Single
|
NYJ 34, CHI 38
|
13.7
|
52%
|
24,400
|
63%
|
| Sun., 1/2/11 |
Regional
|
PIT 41, CLE 9 |
7.3
|
-5%
|
12,328
|
-5%
|
|
National
|
TEN 20, IND 23 |
9.7
|
-13%
|
16,766
|
-11%
|
