In the first week of Nielsen’s revamped overnight ratings, there was no major shift in the NFL’s numbers.
Sunday’s Packers-Cowboys NFL national window averaged a 14.9 overnight rating on FOX, up 5% from last year (mostly Vikings-Eagles: 14.2), but down a tick from the same Packers-Cowboys matchup two years ago (15.0). The 14.9 ranks third out of the five national windows this season.
The numbers come with a major caveat. As of this week, Nielsen’s overnight ratings now include only 44 metered markets, rather than 56. NFL markets New Orleans and Buffalo — two of the NFL’s highest rated markets, relative to their small size — are no longer included.
It should be noted that while Nielsen is now including out-of-home data in its metered market numbers, those figures do not factor into the local and national household ratings that are reported here and elsewhere. Out-of-home data is included only in viewership and demographic data, per Fox Sports executive Michael Mulvihill and Sports TV Ratings’ Robert Seidman.
As nearly all reporting of overnights and local viewing cites household ratings, rather than viewership or demos, figures that include out-of-home data will not be publicly available for the time being. Starting next year, Nielsen will include out-of-home data in its final nationals, and at that point such data will be included in widely reported viewership and demographic figures.
Returning to the ratings: FOX averaged a 10.6 for its early doubleheader window, featuring Giants-Vikings or Bears-Raiders in most markets (+15%). CBS averaged a 10.2 for its singleheader (+13%).
NBC did not disclose overnights for Sunday Night Football, instead opting to report fast-nationals. ESPN has said it does not plan to release overnights any longer.
[Nielsen estimates from Fox Sports, CBS Sports PR/Twitter 10.7, Mulvihill/Twitter 10.6]
