A slight year-over-year increase was enough to boost Thursday Night Football to its best-ever rating and viewership.
The Week 2 Broncos/Chiefs Thursday Night Football game drew a 12.9 final rating and 21.1 million viewers on CBS and NFL Network, up 2% in ratings and viewership from Steelers/Ravens last year (12.7, 20.8M) and up 87% and 92%, respectively, from Jets/Patriots on NFL Network and local affiliates in 2013 (6.9, 11.0M).
Viewership peaked at 22.9 million from 9:30-10 PM ET, and the rating peaked at a 14.2 from 11:30 to the game’s conclusion.
The Broncos’ comeback win ranks as the highest rated and most-watched Thursday Night Football game since the franchise began in 2006, topping the previous highs set by the previously mentioned Steelers/Ravens game. Keep in mind that TNF aired on NFL Network alone from 2006-13, with viewership topping out at 12.3 million for 49ers/Ravens in 2011.
Compared to the season’s other primetime games, Broncos/Chiefs trailed the Steelers/Patriots Kickoff Game the previous Thursday night (16.2, 27.4M) and Giants/Cowboys on Sunday Night Football (15.4, 26.8M). Those games aired on NBC. It did top both games of ESPN’s Monday Night Football doubleheader — Vikings/49ers (8.8, 14.3M) and Eagles/Falcons (8.5, 13.6M).
Locally, the game drew a 44.4 in Kansas City and a 41.6 in Denver.
(Thu. numbers from CBS Press Express, Twitter)
