The NFL hit a trio of multi-year highs in primetime in Week 3 of the season.
The latest edition of NFL Monday Night Football (Eagles-Cowboys) averaged 14.9 million viewers across ESPN and ESPN2, the largest Week 3 MNF audience since the Packers-Seahawks “Fail Mary” in 2012 (16.17M). Ratings were not immediately available. The Cowboys’ blowout win increased 1% from Chiefs-Ravens on ESPN alone last year (14.70M) and 40% from 2019 (Chicago-Washington: 10.61M).
The primary ESPN telecast averaged 12.90 million, while the Peyton and Eli Manning-fronted alternate presentation on ESPN2 averaged 1.89 million. The audience for the Manningcast increased slightly from the previous week (1.86M), though it made up a slightly smaller percentage of the audience (just under 13% of the audience, compared to slightly more than 13% last week).
ESPN says the Week 2 and Week 3 editions of the “Manningcast” rank as its most-watched alternate presentations on record.
All three primetime windows in Week 3 hit multi-year highs. NBC’s Sunday Night Football (Packers-49ers) drew a 10.8 and 19.69 million the previous night, marking the highest rated Week 3 edition of the series since 2018 (Patriots-Lions: 11.5) and the most-watched since 2016 (Bears-Cowboys: 20.62M). Including additional streaming data not tracked by Nielsen — 910,000 viewers across Peacock, NBC Sports Digital and NFL Digital — the game averaged more than 20 million viewers.
Green Bay’s comeback win increased 8% in ratings and 11% in viewership from last year (Packers-Saints: 10.0, 17.80M). Compared to 2019 (Rams-Browns), ratings were flat but viewership increased 6% from 18.59 million.
As previously noted, the Panthers-Texans Thursday Night Football game was the most-watched TNF exclusive on NFL Network since 2018.
Shifting to the afternoon windows, FOX averaged an 11.7 and 22.60 million for its national window (mostly Buccaneers-Rams) — down 1% in ratings and viewership from last year (mostly Cowboys-Seahawks: 11.8, 22.79M). Compared to 2019 on CBS (mostly Saints-Seahawks), ratings fell 10% (from 13.0) but viewership increased 1% (from 22.46M).
The telecast ranks as the most-watched of the season on FOX. Keep in mind the network did not get its customarily high Week 1 rating this season, as it had to share the doubleheader window with CBS.
Speaking of CBS, singleheader action featuring Chiefs-Chargers or Dolphins-Raiders drew a 7.9 and 14.33 million — down 10% in ratings and 14% in viewership from last year (ft. Raiders-Patriots: 8.8, 16.57M) and down 27% and 23% respectively from 2019 on FOX (ft. Broncos-Packers: 10.8, 18.66M).
Rounding out the Week 3 action, FOX pulled a 6.7 and 12.63 million for its early doubleheader window (mostly Bears-Browns or Saints-Patriots) — up 4% in ratings and 8% in viewership from last year (ft. Bears-Falcons: 6.4, 11.68M) but down 20% and 8% respectively from 2019 on CBS (mostly Ravens-Chiefs: 8.3, 13.66M).
[Nielsen estimates from ShowBuzz Daily 9.28, network PR]
