CBS topped the Week 4 NFL ratings charts, though one should not expect to hear anything about it from the network.
Sunday’s NFL national window on CBS (Chiefs-Chargers in 94% of markets) averaged an 11.7 rating and 24.15 million viewers, up 3% from coverage on FOX last year (mostly Patriots-Cowboys: 11.3, 23.37M).
Because CBS parent company Paramount Global has let its contract with Nielsen expire, the network is not disclosing any figures for its programming, but the numbers are nonetheless being tracked — and publicly reported on industry sites. (Paramount is accusing Nielsen of “unacceptable demands, including substantial price increases that are inconsistent with the realities of a changing industry.” The company says it will be relying on an alternative measurement service for the time being, VideoAmp.)
As is typical, the national window was the top NFL telecast — and as goes without saying, the top television program — of the weekend.
Placing second for the weekend, the Ravens’ rout of the Bills averaged a 10.1 and 20.00 million on NBC’s Sunday Night Football — down 9% and 4% respectively from Chiefs-Jets last year, which in addition to pitting defending champion Kansas City against the nation’s #1 market also featured a high-profile celebrity cameo (12.9, 24.83M).
Over on FOX, singleheader action headlined by Eagles-Buccaneers averaged 17.20 million — up 12% from last year on CBS (mostly Dolphins-Bills: 16.86M). FOX is now averaging 19.24 million viewers for its NFL coverage this season, up 16% from last year (16.53M) and its best start since 2016. (Keep in mind FOX had an unopposed Week 1 doubleheader this year for the first time since 2020.)
Rounding out the Week 4 slate, ABC averaged a 7.9 and 15.03 million for Seahawks-Lions and ESPN a 2.9 and 5.61 million for Titans-Dolphins in an overlapping Monday Night Football doubleheader. There is no relevant comparison to Week 4 last year, when the networks both aired the same Seahawks-Giants game (9.2, 16.59M).
During the period in which the Monday night games overlapped (8:15-10:45 PM ET), MNF averaged a combined 20.3 million viewers — up 7% from the prior week’s overlapping doubleheader. Combined viewership peaked at 21.4 million from 9-9:15 PM ET.
