An ugly matchup delivered one of the worst NFL ratings ever on primetime broadcast TV.
The Week 15 edition of Thursday Night Football — the 4-9 Broncos against the 3-10 Colts — had a 6.5 rating and 10.6 million viewers on NBC and NFL Network, down 39% in ratings and 41% in viewership from the fifth NBC simulcast last season, Giants-Eagles in Week 16 (10.6, 17.9M).
Denver’s win ranks as the lowest rated and least-watched Thursday Night Football simulcast ever (30 telecasts). The previous lows were set earlier this season, a 7.0 and 11.4 million for Dolphins-Ravens on CBS and NFL Network.
Regardless of window, it topped only Seahawks-Buccaners on NBC in 2008 (6.3, 10.0M) as the lowest rated and least-watched primetime NFL game ever on broadcast television. That 2008 game aired opposite Game 7 of the MLB ALCS.
Three of the ten lowest primetime NFL ratings on broadcast have come this season alone. All were TNF simulcasts. The aforementioned Week 8 Dolphins-Ravens game ranks third (7.0) and Seahawks-Cardinals in Week 10 is tied for ninth (7.9).
In adults 18-34 (2.0), adults 18-49 (2.9) and adults 25-54 (3.7), Broncos-Colts was the lowest rated primetime NFL game on broadcast TV since at least 2000.
Including streaming viewership, Thursday’s game had 10.9 million viewers.
The 2017 NFL ratings page is available here.
Lowest NFL Ratings on Primetime Broadcast TV
| This year’s games highlighted; Asterisk (*) indicates NFL Network simulcast | |||||||||
| Lowest Rated | Least-Watched | ||||||||
| # | Year | Game | Rtg. | Net | # | Year | Game | Vwrs. | Net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2008 | SEA-TB | 6.3 | NBC | 1 | 2008 | SEA-TB | 10.01M | NBC |
| 2 | 2017 | DEN-IND | 6.5 | NBC* | 2 | 2017 | DEN-IND | 10.64M | NBC* |
| 3 | 2017 | MIA-BAL | 7.0 | CBS* | 3 | 2007 | NO-SEA | 11.19M | NBC |
| 4 | 2007 | NO-SEA | 7.1 | NBC | 4 | 2017 | MIA-BAL | 11.36M | CBS* |
| 5 | 2016 | SF-AZ | 7.4 | CBS* | 5 | 2004 | TB-STL | 11.48M | ABC |
| T6 | 2014 | TB-ATL | 7.5 | CBS* | 6 | 2001 | TEN-OAK | 11.71M | ABC |
| 2001 | TEN-OAK | 7.5 | ABC | 7 | 2014 | TB-ATL | 11.88M | CBS* | |
| 8 | 2011 | IND-NO | 7.6 | NBC | 8 | 2005 | BAL-GB | 12.05M | ABC |
| 9 | 2004 | TB-STL | 7.7 | ABC | 9 | 2016 | SF-AZ | 12.07M | CBS* |
| T10 | 2017 | SEA-AZ | 7.9 | NBC* | 10 | 2003 | STL-ATL | 12.26M | ABC |
| 2006 | OAK-DEN | 7.9 | NBC | ||||||
| 2006 | GB-CHI | 7.9 | NBC | ||||||
[Thu. numbers from Son of the Bronx, ShowBuzz Daily 12.15]
