NFL preseason viewership suffered opposite the Olympic Games Thursday. In other news, NHRA viewership rose again on the FOX broadcast network, and NASCAR’s Xfinity Series dipped on CNBC.
Olympic-Sized Decline For NFL Preseason
- Thursday’s Saints/Patriots NFL preseason game earned 1.3 million viewers on NFL Network, down 49% from Packers/Patriots last year (2.5M) and down 29% from 49ers/Ravens in 2014 (1.8M). Taped coverage of Broncos/Bears scored 727,000 later in the night, down 53% from live coverage of Cowboys/Chargers last year (1.6M). The huge declines are no doubt the result of competition from the Olympic Games, which posted 31.2 million viewers on NBC alone Thursday night.
NHRA Up Big Once Again on FOX Broadcast Network
- Live NHRA racing from Seattle earned 849,000 viewers on FOX last Sunday afternoon, up 60% from last year (531K) and up 17% from 2014 (729K), both of which aired on ESPN2. All three NHRA events on the FOX broadcast network have posted big increases in viewership, though Sunday’s telecast trailed the previous two — which scored 998,000 and 902,000 viewers. Keep in mind the race experienced rain delays and aired opposite the Olympics.
NASCAR Xfinity Dips on CNBC
- NASCAR Xfinity Series racing from Watkins Glen earned a 0.7 final rating and 1.0 million viewers on CNBC last Saturday afternoon, down 22% in ratings and 25% in viewership from last year on NBCSN (0.9, 1.4M) and down 46% and 56%, respectively, from 2014 on ABC (1.3, 1.9M). As should be no surprise, given the network and the competition, it was the second-least watched Xfinity Series race this year.
