A blowout between sub-.500 teams delivered weak numbers for CBS.
The second half of the Week 17 NFL doubleheader on CBS, featuring Panthers/Falcons, drew a 6.7 overnight rating Sunday afternoon — down 37% from last year (10.7), down 17% from 2012 (8.1), and the network’s lowest overnight of the season. The previous low was a 7.8 for regional action in Week 9.
Overall, the 6.7 is the second-lowest of the season for an NFL window on broadcast, ahead of only the 9:30 AM Lions/Falcons game from London on FOX in October (6.6).
The Panthers’ blowout victory was nearly tripled head-to-head by the FOX national window (16.9) and was easily the lowest rated telecast of Week 17 in the metered markets.
The Week 17 national window on CBS, featuring Chargers/Chiefs in 65% of markets, drew a 10.8 overnight earlier in the day — down 10% from coverage featuring Ravens/Bengals last year (12.0) and down 3% from coverage featuring Texans/Colts in 2012 (11.1). The 10.8 is the lowest of the season for the NFL national window on any network, with the caveat that the 1 PM ET start time makes for a poor comparison.
(Sun. numbers via Sports Business Daily)
