NFL preseason ratings continued to slump over the weekend, with one exception.
Sunday’s Cardinals/Texans NFL preseason game scored a 4.1 final rating and 6.7 million viewers on FOX, up 11% in ratings and 14% in viewership from Texans/Saints last year (3.7, 5.9M), up 11% and 10%, respectively, from Chargers/49ers in 2014 (3.7, 6.1M), and the highest rated afternoon preseason game since 49ers/Broncos on FOX in 2012 (4.5).
The Texans’ win ranks as the only game of the preseason to post a year-over-year increase in viewership.
Earlier in the day, FOX earned a 3.3 and 5.2 million for Chargers/Vikings; there was no comparable window last year or in 2014.
The other networks did not fare as well. NBC scored a 3.8 and 6.1 million for Bengals/Jaguars on Sunday Night Football, down 17% in ratings and 18% in viewership from Cardinals/Raiders last year (4.6, 7.5M) and down 16% and 12%, respectively, from Bengals/Cardinals in 2014 (4.5, 7.0M). The 3.8 rating tied Falcons/Dolphins on Thursday night as the lowest for a preseason game on NBC since 2008.
On Saturday, CBS drew a 2.4 and 3.8 million for Titans/Raiders — down 20% in ratings and 23% in viewership from Seahawks/Chargers last year (3.0, 4.9M) and down 14% and 15%, respectively, from Saints/Colts in 2014 (2.8, 4.5M). In both ratings and viewership, it delivered the worst performance for a preseason game on any broadcast network since 2008.
CBS also posted declines for its Friday night game, as previously noted.
Shifting to NFL Network, Saturday’s Chiefs/Bears game had a 0.7 and 1.0 million viewers — down 36% in ratings and 40% in viewership from Steelers/Bills last year (1.1, 1.7M) but flat and up 7%, respectively, from Bills/Buccaneers in 2014 (0.7, 962K), both of which aired in later timeslots. On Friday night, Packers/49ers had just 918,000 viewers; there was no comparable window last year.
