One of the largest blowouts in recent NFL history unsurprisingly led to less impressive numbers for Thursday Night Football.
The Buccaneers/Falcons Thursday Night Football game drew an 8.5 overnight rating across CBS and NFL Network, up 23% from Chiefs/Eagles on NFL Network alone last year (6.9), but the lowest overnight for a primetime NFL game on broadcast television since Colts/Saints on NBC in 2011 (8.2).
The Falcons won Thursday’s game by 42 points and led 56-0 entering the fourth quarter. The 2011 Colts/Saints game, which aired opposite the World Series, was a similarly ugly blowout that the Saints won 62-0.
Compared to the Thursday Night Football season debut a week earlier, the 8.5 overnight declined 38%. The 8.5 still ranks as the second-highest overnight ever for the TNF franchise, which prior to this season aired only NFL Network.
Locally, the Falcons’ win drew a 19.9 rating in Atlanta and a 12.7 in Tampa-St. Petersburg.
(Thu. numbers from Sports Business Daily)
