Overnight ratings increased for all three NFL Thanksgiving Day games.
The Bears/Lions NFL regular season game earned a 15.3 overnight rating on CBS Thursday, up 9% from Packers/Lions on FOX last year (14.1) and up a tick from Texans/Lions on CBS in 2012 (15.2). The 15.3 is tied as the highest for any Thanksgiving Day game on CBS since the network resumed airing NFL games in 1998, matching Dolphins/Cowboys in 2011.
Overall, the 15.3 is tied as the second-highest for the NFL on Thanksgiving since at least 1998, trailing only Packers/Lions on FOX in 2011 (15.8).
Later in the day, Eagles/Cowboys drew a 15.0 overnight on FOX — up 1% from Raiders/Cowboys on CBS last year (14.8) and up 3% from Washington/Cowboys on FOX in 2012 (14.5). The 15.0 is tied as the fifth-highest for a Thanksgiving game since at least 1998.
The Seahawks/49ers nightcap drew a 12.5 overnight on NBC, up 6% from Ravens/Steelers last year (11.8) and up 9% from Jets/Patriots in 2012 (11.5). The 12.5 is the best ever for the primetime Thanksgiving game (dates back to 2006), with the caveat that the game aired on NFL Network from 2006-11.
(Thu. overnights from CBS Sports via TV By the Numbers, NBC Sports via The Futon Critic, twitter.com/ourand_sbj)
