The bar was low, but Week 4 NFL ratings bounced back in the metered markets.
Sunday’s Week 4 NFL national window, featuring Saints-Giants in 74% of markets, earned a 12.3 overnight rating on CBS — up 14% from Raiders-Broncos last year, which earned the lowest national window overnight in more than a decade (10.8), but down 17% from 2016 on FOX (mostly Cowboys-49ers: 14.8).
The 12.3 is easily the lowest of the season for the national window, falling below a 14.0 for the Week 2 edition (mostly Patriots-Jaguars), but the 14 percent increase is the biggest yet for the 4:25 PM ET telecast.
Later in the day, Ravens-Steelers earned the same 12.3 overnight on NBC’s Sunday Night Football — up 12% from both last year (Colts-Seahawks) and 2016 (Chiefs-Steelers), which had an 11.0.
The Ravens’ win was the third straight Sunday night game to hit a multi-year high in the metered markets (though the previous two ended up declining from 2016 in the final nationals).
Shifting to the afternoon windows, FOX earned an 11.7 for singleheader coverage featuring either Lions-Cowboys or Browns-Raiders — down 7% from last year, when the network’s coverage featured Rams-Cowboys or Panthers-Patriots (12.6). Compared to 2016 on CBS, overnights increased 10% from a 10.6.
The 11.7 is the highest of the season for the singleheader.
Rounding out the day’s action, CBS scored a 9.2 overnight for its early doubleheader window — up 14% from last year (8.1) and up 24% from 2016 on FOX (ft. Seahawks-Jets: 7.4).
[Numbers from NBC Sports, CBS Sports, Fox Sports PR/Twitter 10.1]
