Thursday Night Football may not be as big a draw without CBS, but the increases over last year have continued unabated.
The Week 11 Bills/Dolphins Thursday Night Football game drew 7.8 million viewers on NFL Network Thursday night, up 21% from Colts/Titans last year (6.4M) and up 45% from Dolphins/Bills in 2012 (5.4M). The viewership does not include local simulcasts in the home markets.
NFL Network has now had increases for all three of its exclusive Thursday Night Football telecasts this year, including double-digit increases in back-to-back weeks.
The first seven TNF games aired on both CBS and NFL Network, a decision that seems to have worked perfectly for the league. One of the primary reasons the NFL opted to share TNF with a broadcast network was to broaden the audience for NFL Network.
Among adults 18-49, the Dolphins’ win drew a 2.8 rating — up 17% from last year (2.4) and up 33% from 2012 (2.1).
(Thu. numbers from TV By the Numbers)
