America’s team and Patrick Mahomes combined to deliver the largest NFL audience of the season.
Sunday’s NFL national window (Cowboys-Chiefs in 93% of markets) averaged a 14.4 rating and 28.06 million viewers on FOX, ranking as the most-watched game of the season-to-date. The previous high was 26.75 million for Tom Brady’s return to New England in Week 4.
Excluding Thanksgiving, the telecast delivered the NFL’s largest regular season audience in nearly two years — since Week 14 in 2019 (mostly Chiefs-Patriots: 28.11M).
While viewership hit a season-high, the 14.4 rating ranks second for the season behind Brady’s return (14.6). In the key young adult demos, the telecast ranks third in 18-49 (7.0) and 25-54 (8.8) and fourth in 18-34 (4.9).
Ratings jumped 14% and viewership 17% from Week 11 last year (mostly Packers-Colts: 12.7, 23.91M) and 3% and 13% respectively from 2019 (mostly Patriots-Eagles: 14.0, 24.89M).
FOX aired the top two windows of Week 11. The first half of its doubleheader (Packers-Vikings in 57% of markets) averaged a 9.15 (+25%) and 17.28 million (+36%), the second-largest audience for the early doubleheader window this season. CBS drew 17.35 million for its early window in Week 4.
The doubleheader averaged 22.8 million (+22%), not including an additional 672,000 streaming viewers not tracked by Nielsen — up 48% from Week 11 last year and a Fox Sports record.
Each of the remaining Week 11 windows declined. NBC’s Sunday Night Football (Steelers-Chargers) drew an 8.05 (-25%) and 14.55 million (-26%), the least-watched Week 11 edition of SNF since 2007 (Patriots-Bills: 14.48M) and the lowest rated since ESPN last held rights in 2005 (Chiefs-Texans: 4.7).
SNF has now declined in three of the past four weeks.
ESPN’s Monday Night Football (Giants-Buccaneers) pulled a 6.6 (-11%) and 11.92 million (-6%), the lowest rated and least-watched Week 11 edition of MNF since 2017 (Falcons-Seahawks: 6.4, 10.82M).
The Buccaneers’ win was the first Monday night game to decline since Week 2, when Lions-Packers fell double-digits from an ABC simulcast last season.
Rounding out the primetime action, last week’s Thursday Night Football simulcast (Patriots-Falcons) drew a 7.7 (-9%) and 13.52 million (-8%) — the least-watched Week 11 edition since 2017 (Titans-Steelers: 13.51M) and the lowest rated since a 2015 game that aired exclusively on NFL Network (Titans-Jaguars: 4.2).
Bringing up the rear in Week 11, the CBS singleheader (Ravens-Bears in 45% of markets) drew a 6.0 (-25%) and 11.17 million (-24%), narrowly ranking as the least-watched afternoon window all season. FOX drew 11.18 million for the first half of its Week 1 doubleheader.
For the full list of Week 11 NFL ratings, see the linked page.
[Nielsen estimates from Programming Insider 11.23, ShowBuzz Daily 11.23, network PR]
