CBS scored its largest NFL audience of the season for Thursday’s Thanksgiving special.
The Week 12 Vikings/Lions NFL Thanksgiving special had a 13.0 rating and 27.6 million viewers on CBS Thursday afternoon, per Nielsen fast-nationals — up 6% in ratings and 9% in viewership from Eagles/Lions on FOX last year (12.3, 25.4M) but down 8% and 6%, respectively, from Bears/Lions on CBS in 2014 (14.2, 29.4M).
Detroit’s last-second win, which peaked at a 14.4 and 31.7 million from 3-3:30 PM ET, ranks as the most-watched NFL telecast on CBS this season — topping the previous high set days earlier by the Week 11 national window (24.4M). That telecast featured another all-NFC matchup, Eagles/Seahawks. The 13.0 rating is second for the season on CBS behind that Week 11 telecast (13.6).
Regardless of network, Vikings/Lions ranks fourth for the season in viewership and tenth in ratings.
Despite the season-high, Thursday’s game was relatively low by Thanksgiving standards. It was the third-least watched afternoon game on the holiday since 2009 (12 telecasts), ahead of only Eagles/Lions last year and Texans/Lions in 2012 (27.3M).
(Thu. numbers from CBS Sports)
