Week 13 of the NFL season started and ended on a down note in the ratings, but in between the league scored across-the-board gains on Sunday.
The Week 13 NFL national window (Chiefs-Bengals in 88% of markets) averaged a 12.3 rating and 23.41 million viewers on CBS Sunday afternoon, marking the highest rated Week 13 NFL window in four years and the most-watched in six (with out-of-home viewing providing a caveat to the latter mark).
As is almost always the case, the national window was the most-watched of the week. It has topped the charts in all but two weeks this season: Week 1, when FOX and CBS cannibalized each other with competing doubleheaders; and Week 12, when the three Thanksgiving games topped the charts.
Earlier in the day, FOX averaged a 9.9 and 19.17 million for singleheader coverage featuring either Titans-Eagles or Dolphins-49ers in 60% of markets — easily the highest rated and most-watched singleheader this season and the most-watched on FOX since 2019. Ratings jumped 32% and viewership 36% from last year (7.5, 14.11M).
For the first time this season, the singleheader outpaced NBC’s Sunday Night Football (Colts-Cowboys: 9.8, 18.13M). The Sunday night numbers were more than respectable given the Cowboys’ 35-point rout, ranking as the highest for SNF in Week 13 of the season in three years (2019 Patriots-Texans: 12.3, 21.45M).
Rounding out the Sunday slate, CBS averaged a 7.4 and 13.69 million for the first half of its doubleheader (Jets-Vikings in 65% of markets) — up from last year’s comparable window (mostly Chargers-Bengals: 7.2, ~12.8M).
The good times did not extend to the weeknight games. Despite a last-second finish, ESPN averaged 11.27 million for Saints-Buccaneers on Monday Night Football — down double-digits from Patriots-Bills last year (~14.9M). Ratings were not immediately available.
MNF viewership has now declined in eight of the past ten weeks, but the full season average of 13.4 million viewers remains on par with last year.
As previously noted, Thursday Night Football on Amazon Prime posted its customary sharp decline from last year’s FOX/NFL Network simulcast.
