Ratings and viewership for Sunday’s NFL national window were on the lower end of the spectrum.
The Week 15 NFL national window, featuring Broncos/Steelers in 86% of markets, earned a 14.5 final rating and 25.0 million viewers on CBS Sunday afternoon — down 8% in ratings and 6% in viewership from coverage featuring 49ers/Seahawks last year (15.7, 26.5M) and down 11% and 10%, respectively, from coverage featuring Packers/Cowboys in 2013 (16.3, 27.8M). Those telecasts aired on FOX.
Of the 15 national windows this season, Sunday’s telecast is tied for 10th in ratings and ranks 11th in viewership. CBS has aired five of the six lowest rated, least-watched national windows thus far, while rival FOX has aired five of the top six.
Despite the drop, the telecast still topped NBC’s Sunday Night Football in ratings (14.5 to 10.5), viewership (25.0M to 18.1M) and the adults 18-49 demographic (7.5 to 6.1). In fifteen weeks this season, the NFL national window has topped SNF thirteen times in ratings, fourteen times in viewership, and eight times in the demo.
It was not immediately clear whether the national window was the top NFL telecast of the week, as ratings and viewership were not available for Sunday’s singleheader window on FOX. That telecast had a 15.3 overnight, trailing the national window by just 4% in the metered markets.
(Sun. numbers via TV Media Insights)
