Ratings and viewership for every single NFL telecast during the 2011-12 regular season.
The most-viewed NFL telecast of the season was Dolphins/Cowboys on Thanksgiving Day (30.901M, CBS), marking the second straight year that the Cowboys’ Thanksgiving Day game was the top telecast of the season. The highest rated telecast was the Week 15 national window on December 18, featuring Patriots/Broncos in 79% of markets (17.6, CBS).
A record 37 NFL telecasts earned at least 20 million viewers during the regular season, up from 35 such games last year. That said, only thirteen telecasts drew at least 25 million viewers, down from 17 telecasts last year.
On the flip side, twelve telecasts drew less than 10 million viewers, up from eight last season and seven two seasons ago.
Not surprisingly, the lowest rated and least-viewed telecast of the season aired on NFL Network. The net’s December 15 Jaguars/Falcons game earned a 2.5 and 3.972 million viewers, the only telecast of the season to sink below four million viewers.
Excluding NFL Network telecasts, the season’s lowest rated telecast was the Week 17 regional window on FOX (4.5), and the least-viewed was the Week 15 regional window on CBS (7.4M).
FOX and NFL Network were the only NFL broadcast partners to avoid declines in ratings and viewership during the regular season. Additional details on the networks’ season averages are available here.
Ratings/Viewership For NFL Games During the 2011-12 Regular Season
|
WK #
|
Date
|
Window
|
Featured Game
|
Net
|
U.S. Rating
|
vs. ’10
|
Viewers (000)
|
vs. ’10
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1
|
Thu., 9/08/11 |
Kickoff
|
NO 34, GB 42 | NBC |
16.0
|
-3%
|
27,169
|
-1%
|
| Sun., 9/11/11 |
Single
|
Regional action | CBS |
9.1
|
-6%
|
15,496
|
-4%
|
|
|
Regional
|
PHI 31, STL 13 (46%) | FOX |
8.0
|
-1%
|
13,044
|
0%
|
||
|
National
|
NYG 14, WSH 28 (63%) | FOX |
15.3
|
-7%
|
25,802
|
-8%
|
||
|
SNF
|
DAL 24, NYJ 27 | NBC |
15.3
|
2%
|
25,766
|
2%
|
||
| Mon., 9/12/11 |
MNF
|
NE 38, MIA 24 | ESPN |
9.1
|
-3%
|
14,568
|
-3%
|
|
|
MNF
|
OAK 23, DEN 20 | ESPN |
7.1
|
-7%
|
11,109
|
-7%
|
||
|
2
|
Sun., 9/18/11 |
Single
|
CHI 13, NO 30 (38%) | FOX |
13.2
|
25%
|
22,530
|
27%
|
|
Regional
|
Regional action | CBS |
8.5
|
-6%
|
13,558
|
-9%
|
||
|
National
|
SD 21, NE 35 (74%) | CBS |
13.3
|
-18%
|
22,662
|
-16%
|
||
|
SNF
|
PHI 31, ATL 35 | NBC |
14.3
|
4%
|
23,424
|
1%
|
||
| Mon., 9/19/11 |
MNF
|
STL 16, NYG 28 | ESPN |
7.8
|
-17%
|
11,922
|
-21%
|
|
|
3
|
Sun., 9/25/11 |
Single
|
Regional action | CBS |
11.5
|
-10%
|
18,898
|
-15%
|
|
Regional
|
NYG 29, PHI 16 (69%) | FOX |
8.4
|
5%
|
13,293
|
4%
|
||
|
National
|
GB 27, CHI 17 (81%) | FOX |
14.1
|
1%
|
23,995
|
4%
|
||
|
SNF
|
PIT 23, IND 20 | NBC |
12.2
|
8%
|
20,357
|
12%
|
||
| Mon., 9/26/11 |
MNF
|
WSH 16, DAL 18 | ESPN |
10.6
|
-2%
|
17,104
|
-2%
|
|
|
4
|
Sun., 10/02/11 |
Single
|
DET 34, DAL 30 (35%) | FOX |
14.0
|
32%
|
23,308
|
32%
|
|
Regional
|
Regional action | CBS |
7.1
|
-14%
|
11,050
|
-19%
|
||
|
National
|
DEN 23, GB 49 (59%) | CBS |
13.6
|
-1%
|
23,014
|
-1%
|
||
|
SNF
|
NYJ 17, BAL 34 | NBC |
11.5
|
-8%
|
18,900
|
-10%
|
||
| Mon., 10/03/11 |
MNF
|
IND 17, TB 24 | ESPN |
7.0
|
-22%
|
10,837
|
-22%
|
|
|
5
|
Sun., 10/09/11 |
Single
|
PHI 24, BUF 31 (29%) | FOX |
9.9
|
-15%
|
16,006
|
-17%
|
|
Regional
|
Regional action | CBS |
7.1
|
9%
|
11,224
|
7%
|
||
|
National
|
NYJ 21, NE 30 (81%) | CBS |
13.6
|
7%
|
22,598
|
9%
|
||
|
SNF
|
GB 25, ATL 14 | NBC |
13.4
|
30%
|
22,046
|
31%
|
||
| Mon., 10/10/11 |
MNF
|
CHI 13, DET 24 | ESPN |
10.3
|
-4%
|
16,378
|
-5%
|
|
|
6
|
Sun., 10/16/11 |
Single
|
Regional action | CBS |
8.8
|
-31%
|
14,533
|
-32%
|
|
Regional
|
SF 25, DET 19 (33%) | FOX |
10.5
|
44%
|
17,201
|
45%
|
||
|
National
|
DAL 16, NE 20 (88%) | FOX |
17.1
|
9%
|
28,443
|
9%
|
||
|
SNF
|
MIN 10, CHI 39 | NBC |
10.1
|
-14%
|
16,568
|
-13%
|
||
| Mon., 10/17/11 |
MNF
|
MIA 6, NYJ 24 | ESPN |
7.8
|
26%
|
12,062
|
25%
|
|
|
7
|
Sun., 10/23/11 |
Single
|
Regional action | CBS |
9.7
|
4%
|
15,803
|
6%
|
|
Regional
|
ATL 23, DET 16 (40%) | FOX |
8.2
|
-13%
|
13,019
|
-15%
|
||
|
National
|
GB 33, MIN 27 (83%) | FOX |
14.6
|
11%
|
24,267
|
11%
|
||
|
SNF
|
IND 7, NO 62 | NBC |
7.6
|
-51%
|
12,465
|
-51%
|
||
| Mon., 10/24/11 |
MNF
|
BAL 7, JAX 12 | ESPN |
6.1
|
-46%
|
9,275
|
-48%
|
|
|
8
|
Sun., 10/30/11 |
Single
|
DET 45, DEN 10 (29%) | FOX |
10.3
|
20%
|
17,110
|
23%
|
|
Regional
|
Regional action | CBS |
9.1
|
11%
|
13,942
|
6%
|
||
|
National
|
NE 17, PIT 25 (85%) | CBS |
14.6
|
-4%
|
24,564
|
-3%
|
||
|
SNF
|
DAL 7, PHI 34 | NBC |
13.8
|
29%
|
22,994
|
27%
|
||
| Mon., 10/31/11 |
MNF
|
SD 20, KC 23 | ESPN |
7.9
|
7%
|
12,032
|
1%
|
|
|
9
|
Sun., 11/06/11 |
Single
|
Regional action | CBS |
9.8
|
0%
|
16,160
|
-1%
|
|
Regional
|
TB 16, NO 27 (41%) | FOX |
8.6
|
-10%
|
14,194
|
-8%
|
||
|
National
|
NYG 24, NE 20 (55%) | FOX |
16.7
|
2%
|
28,213
|
2%
|
||
|
SNF
|
BAL 23, PIT 20 | NBC |
13.3
|
15%
|
22,121
|
14%
|
||
| Mon., 11/07/11 |
MNF
|
CHI 30, PHI 24 | ESPN |
10.7
|
16%
|
16,847
|
12%
|
|
|
10
|
Thu., 11/10/11 |
TNF
|
OAK 24, SD 17 | NFLN |
3.3
|
6%
|
5,277
|
5%
|
| Sun., 11/13/11 |
Single
|
Regional action | CBS |
11.5
|
20%
|
19,003
|
21%
|
|
|
Regional
|
NO 26, ATL 23 (65%) | FOX |
7.7
|
-6%
|
12,444
|
-5%
|
||
|
National
|
NYG 20, SF 27 (70%) | FOX |
15.6
|
1%
|
25,938
|
-1%
|
||
|
SNF
|
NE 37, NYJ 16 | NBC |
12.9
|
1%
|
20,918
|
-1%
|
||
| Mon., 11/14/11 |
MNF
|
MIN 7, GB 45 | ESPN |
8.7
|
-6%
|
14,188
|
-6%
|
|
|
11
|
Thu., 11/17/11 |
TNF
|
NYJ 13, DEN 17 | NFLN |
4.3
|
30%
|
7,050
|
30%
|
| Sun., 11/20/11 |
Single
|
TB 26, GB 35 (39%) | FOX |
12.2
|
3%
|
20,025
|
-1%
|
|
|
Regional
|
Regional action | CBS |
6.9
|
-19%
|
10,752
|
-21%
|
||
|
National
|
SD 20, CHI 31 (79%) | CBS |
13.0
|
-8%
|
21,462
|
-9%
|
||
|
SNF
|
PHI 17, NYG 10 | NBC |
12.5
|
-10%
|
20,305
|
-12%
|
||
| Mon., 11/21/11 |
MNF
|
KC 3, NE 34 | ESPN |
7.8
|
8%
|
12,344
|
6%
|
|
|
12
|
Thu., 11/24/11 |
Special
|
GB 27, DET 15 | FOX |
14.8
|
10%
|
30,171
|
9%
|
|
Special
|
MIA 19, DAL 20 | CBS |
14.3
|
3%
|
30,901
|
-3%
|
||
|
TNF
|
SF 6, BAL 16 | NFLN |
5.3
|
56%
|
10,681
|
50%
|
||
| Sun., 11/27/11 |
Single
|
CHI 20, OAK 25 (40%) | FOX |
10.4
|
12%
|
17,245
|
12%
|
|
|
Regional
|
Regional action | CBS |
9.9
|
0%
|
15,568
|
-7%
|
||
|
National
|
NE 38, PHI 20 (72%) | CBS |
15.5
|
1%
|
26,246
|
-1%
|
||
|
SNF
|
PIT 13, KC 9 | NBC |
12.3
|
8%
|
20,344
|
7%
|
||
| Mon., 11/28/11 |
MNF
|
NYG 24, NO 49 | ESPN |
9.3
|
33%
|
14,423
|
29%
|
|
|
13
|
Thu., 12/01/11 |
TNF
|
PHI 14, SEA 31 | NFLN |
3.6
|
9%
|
5,945
|
10%
|
| Sun., 12/04/11 |
Single
|
Regional action | CBS |
11.5
|
34%
|
19,010
|
34%
|
|
|
Regional
|
DEN 35, MIN 32 (61%) | FOX |
8.8
|
-10%
|
14,453
|
-8%
|
||
|
National
|
GB 38, NYG 35 (77%) | FOX |
17.6
|
8%
|
29,774
|
9%
|
||
|
SNF
|
DET 17, NO 31 | NBC |
11.5
|
-14%
|
18,896
|
-16%
|
||
| Mon., 12/05/11 |
MNF
|
SD 38, JAX 14 | ESPN |
6.1
|
-39%
|
9,466
|
-43%
|
|
|
14
|
Thu., 12/08/11 |
TNF
|
CLE 3, PIT 14 | NFLN |
4.0
|
21%
|
6,578
|
22%
|
| Sun., 12/11/11 |
Single
|
CHI 10, DEN 13 (42%) | FOX |
13.6
|
30%
|
22,207
|
27%
|
|
|
Regional
|
Regional action | CBS |
9.3
|
-3%
|
14,535
|
-6%
|
||
|
National
|
OAK 16, GB 46 (95%) | CBS |
12.7
|
-27%
|
20,789
|
-32%
|
||
|
SNF
|
NYG 37, DAL 34 | NBC |
14.9
|
-2%
|
24,516
|
-5%
|
||
| Mon., 12/12/11 |
MNF
|
STL 13, SEA 30 | ESPN |
6.2
|
-19%
|
9,880
|
-17%
|
|
|
15
|
Thu., 12/15/11 |
TNF
|
JAX 14, ATL 41 | NFLN |
2.5
|
-14%
|
3,972
|
-19%
|
| Sat., 12/17/11 |
Special
|
DAL 31, TB 15 | NFLN |
3.3
|
—
|
5,615
|
—
|
|
| Sun., 12/18/11 |
Single
|
WSH 23, NYG 10 | FOX |
14.4
|
11%
|
23,400
|
7%
|
|
|
Regional
|
Regional action | CBS |
4.9
|
-34%
|
7,400
|
-38%
|
||
|
National
|
NE 41, DEN 23 (79%) | CBS |
17.6
|
17%
|
29,700
|
16%
|
||
|
SNF
|
BAL 14, SD 34 | NBC |
10.1
|
-28%
|
16,578
|
-31%
|
||
| Mon., 12/19/11 |
MNF
|
PIT 3, SF 20 | ESPN |
10.1
|
2%
|
16,677
|
-2%
|
|
|
16
|
Thu., 12/22/11 |
TNF
|
HOU 16, IND 19 | NFLN |
2.8
|
17%
|
4,583
|
4%
|
| Sat., 12/24/11 |
Single
|
Regional action | CBS |
8.3
|
-39%
|
14,643
|
-40%
|
|
|
Regional
|
NYG 29, NYJ 14 (72%) | FOX |
8.0
|
19%
|
13,830
|
22%
|
||
|
National
|
PHI 20, DAL 7 (88%) | FOX |
12.9
|
-5%
|
22,878
|
-6%
|
||
| Sun., 12/25/11 |
SNF
|
CHI 21, GB 35 | NBC |
12.6
|
-9%
|
24,019
|
1%
|
|
| Mon., 12/26/11 |
MNF
|
ATL 16, NO 45 | ESPN |
9.2
|
-18%
|
15,638
|
-18%
|
|
|
17
|
Sun., 1/01/12 |
Regional
|
Regional action | CBS |
8.1
|
11%
|
13,331
|
8%
|
|
National
|
CAR 17, NO 45 (59%) | FOX |
11.6
|
-21%
|
19,596
|
-25%
|
||
|
Regional
|
TB 24, ATL 45 (89%) | FOX |
4.5
|
-53%
|
7,662
|
-52%
|
||
|
National
|
Regional action | CBS |
15.1
|
56%
|
27,004
|
61%
|
||
|
SNF
|
DAL 14, NYG 31 | NBC |
15.7
|
39%
|
27,624
|
43%
|
(Week 15 numbers courtesy Austin Karp, Sports Business Daily)
