Facing the Olympics on the lowest rated night of the week, the Rams’ return to Los Angeles was not much of a draw in the metered markets.
Saturday’s Cowboys/Rams NFL preseason game earned a 2.1 overnight rating on ESPN, down 25% from the network’s first preseason game last year, Bills/Browns on a Thursday night (2.8). Cowboys/Rams was not intended to be ESPN’s preseason opener, but its scheduled Hall of Fame Game telecast was canceled.
Ratings were obviously affected by competition from the Olympic Games, which pulled a 16.4 overnight on NBC alone Saturday night.
ESPN’s telecast pulled a 2.8 rating in Dallas-Ft. Worth and a 1.7 in Los Angeles. As is always the case for ESPN NFL games, coverage was simulcast on local affiliates in both markets, earning a 7.3 on Dallas ABC affiliate WFAA and a 5.2 on L.A. ABC affiliate KABC.
In St. Louis, former home of the Rams, Saturday’s game earned a 2.3 rating — ranking 24th out of the 56 metered markets.
(Sat. numbers from Sports Business Daily, ESPN)
