With an expanded slate that included early season games, NFL Network had a record-setting 2012.
Thirteen regular season NFL telecasts averaged a 4.0 U.S. rating and 6.4 million viewers on NFL Network, according to Sports Business Daily — up 11% in ratings and 3% in viewership from eight telecasts last year (3.6, 6.2M), and up 25% and 11%, respectively, from 2010 (3.2, 5.7M).
The 2012 regular season ranks as the highest rated and most-viewed ever on NFL Network (dates back to 2006).
NFL Network had the advantage of an expanded regular season slate that began in Week 2 of the season. At the same time, the network lost the Thanksgiving night NFL game to NBC, which had been the network’s most-viewed telecast in the previous two seasons.
The top NFL Network game of the season was Bears/Packers in Week 2 (5.3, 8.6M). On the other end of the spectrum was Chiefs/Chargers in Week 9 (3.0, 4.8M), which earned the worst NFL numbers of the season on any network.
Ratings/Viewership For NFL on NFL Network
2012 regular season
|
WK #
|
Date
|
Away
|
Home |
Net
|
Rating
|
Viewers
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Thu., 9/13/12 | Packers | Bears | NFLN |
5.3
|
8.6M
|
| 3 | Thu., 9/20/12 | Giants | Panthers | NFLN |
4.6
|
7.0M
|
| 4 | Thu., 9/27/12 | Ravens | Browns | NFLN |
5.2
|
8.1M
|
| 5 | Thu., 10/4/12 | Rams | Cardinals | NFLN |
4.3
|
6.4M
|
| 6 | Thu., 10/11/12 | Titans | Steelers | NFLN |
3.6
|
5.7M
|
| 7 | Thu., 10/18/12 | Niners | Seahawks | NFLN |
4.4
|
7.0M
|
| 8 | Thu., 10/25/12 | Bucs | Vikings | NFLN |
3.2
|
5.2M
|
| 9 | Thu., 11/1/12 | Chargers | Chiefs | NFLN |
3.0
|
4.8M
|
| 10 | Thu., 11/8/12 | Colts | Jaguars | NFLN |
3.3
|
5.2M
|
| 11 | Thu., 11/15/12 | Bills | Dolphins | NFLN |
3.4
|
5.4M
|
| 13 | Thu., 11/29/12 | Falcons | Saints | NFLN |
4.4
|
7.1M
|
| 14 | Thu., 12/6/12 | Broncos | Raiders | NFLN |
4.2
|
6.8M
|
| 15 | Thu., 12/13/12 | Bengals | Eagles | NFLN |
3.5
|
5.5M
|
(Season average from Sports Business Daily)
