Heading into Week 4 of the NFL season, here is a look at how college and pro football games performed on broadcast last weekend.
NFL.
NFL on CBS (regional): 8.1/18 final rating, down 30% from comparable coverage in ’07.
- The 8.1 rating for the first game of last Sunday’s CBS doubleheader was off 30% from an 11.6 for single game coverage last year.
NFL on CBS (Steelers/Eagles): 12.0/23 final rating, up 7% from NYG/WSH on FOX in ’07.
- CBS had better luck for the second game of its doubleheader, as the 12.0 for the battle of Pennsylvania marked a 7% increase from an 11.2 for the comparable Giants/Washington game last year, which aired on FOX.
NFL on FOX (regional): 8.7/17 final rating, up 40% from comparable coverage in ’07.
- After a relatively slow start to the season, FOX saw a big jump in the ratings for its singleheader coverage last Sunday. The 8.7 final rating was up 40% from a 6.2 for coverage in the comparable timeslot last year.
Sunday Night Football on NBC (Cowboys/Packers): 13.3/21 final rating, up 13% from DAL/CHI in ’07.
- The drawing power of the Packers and Cowboys was never more evident than on Sunday, as the 13.3 rating and 22.2 million viewers for Sunday Night Football easily beat the combined numbers for the Emmys and the final game at Yankee Stadium.
The NFL Today on CBS: 2.1/6 final rating, down 13% from ’07.
- Viewers apparently had better things to do at noon last Sunday, as both The NFL Today and FOX NFL Sunday saw significant declines in ratings from Week 3 last year.
FOX NFL Sunday: 2.4/6 final rating, down 25% from ’07.
- Like their rivals at CBS, FOX saw a steep drop in the ratings for its pregame show last Sunday.
Football Night in America on NBC: 5.5 final rating, up 20% from ’07.
- NBC was alone among the broadcast networks in seeing an increase in ratings for its studio show. The 5.5 for the 7:30-8:15 PM portion of Football Night in America marks a 20% increase from a 4.6 during Week 3 last year.
College.
College football on ABC (regional): 3.3/8 final rating, down 11% from Penn St./Mich in ’07.
- A slate of regional match-ups last Saturday was no match for last year’s Penn State/Michigan game. The 3.3 final rating was off 11% from a 3.7 in ’07, but was the best rating for any college football game on broadcast last weekend*.
Saturday Night Football on ABC (UGA/Arizona St.): 2.7/5 final rating, down 16% from regional coverage in ’07.
- Viewers were less than enthralled by this out-of-conference match-up. The 2.7 final rating for Georgia’s victory over Arizona State marks a 16% decline from a 3.2 for regional action last year.
SEC on CBS (UF/Tenn.): 2.7/6 final rating, up 4% from S. Car/LSU in ’07.
- The 2.7 rating for Florida’s whipping of Tennessee was up a tick from last year’s 2.6 for South Carolina/LSU.
College Football Countdown on ABC: 0.7/2 final rating, down 36% from ’07.
- Ratings for ABC’s college football pregame show fell 36% from a 1.1/3 in ’07.
College Football Today on CBS: 0.8/2 final rating, down 11% from ’07.
- Ratings dropped by double-digits for the CBS college football pregame show, but still outperformed ABC’s pregame head-to-head.
* Correction: post originally said ABC’s regional coverage at 3:30 PM was highest rated college football telecast of the weekend on broadcast or cable. In actuality, LSU/Auburn on ESPN was the highest rated game.
