NFL Hits Primetime Network Low For Broncos-Cards

A lopsided matchup of sub-.500 teams, on a night when baseball and the NBA provided tough competition, set all-time record lows for primetime NFL on broadcast television.

FOX and NFL Network earned a combined 5.6 rating and 9.10 million viewers for Broncos-Cardinals on Thursday Night Football, down 35% in ratings and 37% in viewership from last year (Chiefs-Raiders: 8.6, 14.4M) and down 36% and 37% respectively from the fourth TNF simulcast in 2016 (Broncos-Chargers: 8.7, 14.5M)

Versus the comparable Week 7 TNF game in 2016, Bears-Packers, ratings fell 35% (from 8.6) and viewership 36% (from 14.2M).

The Broncos’ blowout win ranks as the lowest rated and least-watched primetime NFL game ever on broadcast television. The previous lows were a 6.3 and 10.01 million for Seahawks-Buccaneers on NBC in 2008.

Five of the ten lowest rated and least-watched primetime games have been Thursday Night Football simulcasts.

Broncos-Cardinals aired opposite Game 5 of the Red Sox-Astros American League Championship Series, which had a 4.0 and 6.52 million. It also overlapped with the beginning of LeBron James‘ Lakers debut on TNT, which had a 2.05 and 3.31 million. While TNF won the head-to-head, the competition likely played a role in the record-low.

For the night, TNF ranked third among all television programs behind “The Big Bang Theory” (12.2M) and “Young Sheldon” (11.0M) on CBS. It won the night in adults 18-34 (2.2), adults 18-49 (2.8) and adults 25-54 (3.5), despite hitting all-time lows in the latter two demos.

The full list of 2018 NFL ratings is available here.

Lowest Rated/Least-Watched Primetime NFL Games on Broadcast

Asterisk (*) indicates NFL Network simulcast

[Numbers from Nielsen via Programming Insider 10.19]