NFL ratings continue to trend in a positive direction, even if the numbers are not quite back to the levels of three years ago.
Sunday’s Week 5 NFL national window, featuring a Vikings-Eagles NFC Championship Game rematch in 82% of markets, had a 14.2 overnight rating on FOX — down 5% from Packers-Cowboys last year (15.0) but up 8% from 2016 on CBS (mostly Bengals-Cowboys: 13.1).
The 14.2 is the second-highest of the season for an NFL window that did not feature the Cowboys, trailing Bears-Packers on NBC in Week 1 (14.4).
Speaking of the Cowboys, Dallas’ loss to Houston on Sunday Night Football drew a 12.4 — up 17% from last year (Chiefs-Texans: 10.6), up 22% from 2016 opposite a presidential debate (Giants-Packers: 10.2) and the highest for SNF in Week 5 since 2015 (49ers-Giants: 13.1).
Sunday Night Football overnights have now increased for four straight weeks, with each window up double-digits to a multi-year high. Keep in mind that each of the three previous windows failed to hit a multi-year high in the final nationals.*
As for the early windows, FOX earned a 9.2 for regional coverage featuring Packers-Lions in 40% of markets or Giants-Panthers in 38%, up 5% from last year (mostly Panthers-Lions: 8.8) but down 12% from 2016 on CBS (10.5).
The CBS singleheader pulled a 9.0, even with last year and down 17% from 2016 on FOX (ft. Falcons-Broncos: 10.9).
Overnights have increased for 13 of 20 Sunday windows this season.
CORRECTION 10/16: Post originally said that the three previous SNF windows failed to increase in the final nationals. The windows failed to hit a *multi-year high* in the final nationals — each was up from last year, but down from 2016.
[Numbers from NBC Sports PR, Sports Business Daily 10.8]
