If not the kind of draw it was during the Tom Brady era, Cowboys-Patriots nonetheless delivered in the ratings.
Sunday’s NFL national window, featuring Cowboys-Patriots in 80% of markets, averaged a 12.1 rating and 23.22 million viewers on CBS — marking the network’s most-watched NFL telecast in the month of October since 2015.
The telecast, which peaked with 29.71 million viewers from 7:30-7:45 PM ET, increased 2% in ratings and 4% in viewership from last year’s full national Packers-Buccaneers game on FOX (11.9, 22.31M). Compared to 2019 on CBS (mostly Cowboys-Jets), ratings fell a tick but viewership rose 8% (from 21.42M).
The last time the teams met in 2019, ratings and viewership were considerably higher at a 16.5 and 29.47 million. Brady was still with the Patriots at the time.
CBS aired a rare NFL tripleheader on Sunday, starting the day off with a 4.1 and 7.00 million for the early morning Dolphins-Jaguars game from London — the highest rated and most-watched London game since 2016 (Washington-Cincinnati: 5.5, 8.75M). Keep in mind it was just the third standalone London game on broadcast TV over that span.
The Jaguars’ win, which peaked with 10.31 million from 12:30-12:45 PM ET, increased 11% in ratings and 21% in viewership from the previous London game on broadcast, Titans-Chargers on CBS in 2018 (3.7, 5.80M).
Despite a pair of high-wattage matchups — Kansas City against Washington in 47% of markets and Chargers-Ravens in 46% — the CBS 1:00 PM ET window was relatively soft at a 6.9 (+2%) and 12.41 million (+3%). Keep in mind FOX had a high-profile matchup in its competing singleheader, as 50% of markets got Packers-Bears.
Due to a Nielsen processing error, fully accurate figures for the FOX telecast will not be available until Thursday.
Shifting to primetime, NBC drew a season-low 9.0 and 16.28 million for the unappealing-on-paper matchup of the Seahawks and Steelers — still up 27% in ratings and 29% in viewership from Rams-49ers opposite an NLCS Game 7 last year (7.1, 12.60M) and up 5% and 9% respectively from Steelers-Chargers in 2019 (8.6, 14.89M).
ESPN chipped in 12.53 million for Bills-Titans on Monday Night Football, up 11% from Cardinals-Cowboys last year (11.32M) — which was overshadowed by a rescheduled Chiefs-Bills game earlier that same day — but down 6% from Lions-Packers in 2019 (13.34M).
For the full list of 2021 NFL numbers, see the NFL ratings page.
[Nielsen estimates from ShowBuzz Daily 10.19, network PR]
