NFL Network earned the largest Thanksgiving Day audience on cable in at least seventeen years thanks to last week’s clash between the 49ers and Ravens.
The Week 12 49ers/Ravens Thursday Night Football game earned a 5.3 U.S. rating and 10.681 million viewers on NFL Network, up 56% in ratings and 50% in viewership from Week 12 last year (CIN/NYJ: 3.4, 7.106M), and up 77% and 75%, respectively, from 2009 (NYG/DEN: 3.0, 6.015M).
The Ravens’ win ranks as the most-viewed program in the eight-year history of NFL Network, topping the previous record held by Cowboys/Saints in Week 15 of the 2009 season (10.497M).
In addition, the game ranks as the most-viewed Thanksgiving program in cable television history (dates back to 1994).
Not surprisingly, the game had no trouble topping college football action airing on ESPN at the same time (TEX/TAMU: 2.4, 4.146M).
Five Most-Viewed NFL Telecasts on NFL Network
|
#
|
Date
|
Game
|
Net
|
Rating
|
Viewers (000)
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1
|
Thu., 11/24/11 | SF 6, BAL 16 | NFLN |
5.3
|
10,681
|
|
2
|
Sat., 12/19/09 | DAL 24, NO 17 | NFLN |
5.7
|
10,497
|
|
3
|
Thu., 11/29/07 | GB 27, DAL 37 | NFLN |
5.4
|
10,054
|
|
4
|
Sat., 12/25/10 | DAL 26, ARI 27 | NFLN |
3.8
|
7,843
|
|
5
|
Thu., 11/25/10 | CIN 10, NYJ 26 | NFLN |
3.4
|
7,106
|
(Last week’s numbers from Nielsen.com, with additional information from NFL Network press release via Fang’s Bites)
