CBS scored its highest rated and most-watched NFL telecasts of the season over the holiday weekend.
Last Thursday’s Bears-Lions NFL Thanksgiving Day game earned a 12.3 rating and 26.5 million, up 8% in ratings and 7% in viewership from last year on FOX (Vikings-Lions: 11.4, 24.7M) and down 5% and 4% respectively from 2016 on CBS (Vikings-Lions: 13.0, 27.6M).
Chicago’s win delivered the largest audience of the season on CBS, and the second-largest audience across all networks. Washington-Dallas later in the day had a season-high 30.5 million on FOX.
Chicago led all markets with 27.5 rating, followed close behind by Detroit (27.1). New Orleans was the top neutral market at a 20.0, with Dayton, Ohio (19.5) and Norfolk, Va. (19.2) rounding out the top five.
Shifting to Sunday’s games, CBS scored a 13.5 and 23.7 million for the Week 12 national window, featuring Steelers-Broncos in 87% of markets — up 16% in ratings and 19% in viewership from last year (mostly Saints-Rams: 11.6, 19.9M) and up 2% and 1% respectively from 2016 (mostly Panthers-Raiders: 13.2, 23.5M).
It was the highest rated and most-watched Week 12 national window since 2015 (Steelers-Seahawks: 15.4, 26.6M).
In addition, it was the highest rated telecast of the season on CBS, topping the previous high set by Bears-Lions. Across all networks, it delivered the second-highest rating of the season and the fourth-largest audience.
The first half of the CBS doubleheader earned an 8.1 and 13.8 million — up 25% in ratings and 26% in viewership from last year (6.5, 10.9M) and up 7% and 8% respectively from 2016 (7.6, 12.8M). It scored the highest Week 12 rating in the window since 2014 (8.3) and the largest audience since 2013 (14.8M).
The full list of Week 12 NFL ratings is available here.
[Numbers from CBS Sports, Nielsen via ShowBuzz Daily 11.28]
