A full schedule of NFL preseason games on the broadcast networks yielded numbers on par with last year.
The Cardinals/Raiders NFL preseason game drew a 4.6 final rating and 7.5 million viewers on NBC Sunday night, up a tick in ratings and 8% in viewership from Bengals/Cardinals last year (4.5, 7.0M) but down 12% and 8%, respectively, from Vikings/49ers in 2013 (5.2, 8.2M).
Ratings and viewership were the second-highest for any preseason game this year, trailing only the Steelers/Vikings Hall of Fame Game (6.6, 11.0M).
Earlier in the day, FOX drew a 3.7 and 5.9 million for Texans/Saints — flat in ratings and down 3% in viewership from Chargers/49ers last year (3.7, 6.1M). The 3.7 is tied as the second-lowest for a Sunday preseason game during the current television contract (2006-present), ahead of only a 3.3 for Rams/Titans on FOX in primetime the previous week.
In other action, CBS scored a 3.0 and 4.9 million for Saturday’s Seahawks/Chargers game — up 7% in ratings and 9% in viewership from Saints/Colts last year (2.8, 4.5M) and up 3% and 11%, respectively, from Rams/Broncos in 2013 (2.9, 4.4M). Lions/Jaguars drew a 3.1 and 4.8 million the previous night, down 11% in ratings and 12% in viewership from Raiders/Packers last year (3.5, 5.5M) and down 35% and 38%, respectively, from Seahawks/Packers in 2013 (4.8, 7.7M).
(Wknd. numbers via Media Life Magazine, TV Media Insights)
