At what used to be the midpoint of the season, the NFL continues to deliver in the ratings.
NFL games are averaging 16.5 million viewers across the league’s TV and digital platforms, up 9% from the same point last year. According to Austin Karp of Sports Business Journal, the eight-week average is the highest since 2015 (18.6M).
The NFL said Wednesday that the league accounts for 45 of the 50 most-watched television shows since the start of the season.
Week 8 of the season was a mixed bag bookended by a pair of primetime highs. As previously reported, last week’s slate opened with one of the largest Thursday Night Football audiences in series history. It ended with the largest Week 8 Monday Night Football audience in seven years as the ESPN family of networks averaged 13.99 million for Giants-Chiefs — up 14% from last year (Buccaneers-Giants: 11.70M) and 40% from 2019 (Dolphins-Steelers: 9.98M).
The Monday night audience included 1.96 million viewers for the Peyton and Eli Manning-fronted alternate presentation on ESPN2, a new high for the “Manningcast” — topping the previous mark of 1.89 million in Week 3.
Sandwiched between the Thursday and Monday night highs was a Sunday marked by across-the-board declines. The late doubleheader window (Buccaneers-Saints in 92% of markets) averaged an 11.4 rating and 21.29 million viewers on FOX, down 5% in ratings and 7% in viewership from last year (mostly Saints-Bears: 12.0, 22.77M). Ratings also fell 5% from the equivalent 2019 window (12.0), but viewership increased 1% (from 21.03M).
Regional action on FOX earlier in the day (mostly 49ers-Bears or Panthers-Falcons) averaged a 6.5 and 11.65 million, down 5% in both measures from last year (mostly Vikings-Packers: 6.8, 12.31M) and down 12% and 4% respectively from 2019 (ft. Cardinals-Saints: 7.3, 12.10M).
CBS scored a strong 9.6 and 17.78 million for its singleheader (mostly Steelers-Browns or Patriots-Chargers), but that was still down 5% in both measures from last year (ft. Steelers-Ravens: 10.1, 18.65M). Compared to 2019 (ft. Eagles-Bills), ratings fell 4% (from 10.0) but viewership inched up 2% (from 17.41M).
NBC’s Sunday Night Football hit a season-low opposite the World Series with an 8.7 and 15.68 million viewers for Cowboys-Vikings, down 9% in ratings and 7% in viewership from last year (Cowboys-Eagles: 9.5, 16.93M) and down 17% and 14% respectively from 2019 (Packers-Chiefs: 10.4, 18.32M). Keep in mind last year’s game did not face the World Series; compared to Seahawks-Cardinals opposite the Fall Classic last year, ratings and viewership jumped 10% from a 7.9 and 14.31 million.
[Nielsen estimates from ShowBuzz Daily 11.2, Karp/Twitter 11.3, network PR]
