NFL Network ended its season with both a season-high and a season-low during Week 16.
Saturday’s Christmas night Cowboys/Cardinals game drew a 3.8 U.S. rating and 7.843 million viewers on NFL Network, up 15% in ratings and 14% in viewership from last year’s Christmas game (SD/TEN: 3.3, 6.883 mil).
This marks the highest rated, most-viewed NFL Network telecast of the season. For some perspective, that still falls short of the season’s lowest rated, least-viewed NFL game on any other network (TEN/JAX: 6.2, 9.666 mil, ESPN).
Overall, Cowboys/Cardinals ranks as the third-most viewed NFL telecast ever on NFL Network — behind only Cowboys/Saints in Week 15 last year (10.497 mil), and Packers/Cowboys in Week 13 in 2007 (10.054 mil).
Two nights earlier, the network put up its lowest numbers of the season for Panthers/Steelers.
The Steelers’ blowout win earned a 2.4 U.S. rating and 4.394 million viewers, making the game the lowest rated, least-viewed NFL telecast on any network this season. There was no comparable Week 16 Thursday night game last year.
Overall, NFL Network averaged 5.7 million viewers for live NFL action during the 2010-11 season, up 4% from last year (5.5 mil), up 54% from two years ago (3.7), and the network’s highest average ever for NFL coverage (five seasons).
Ratings/Viewership For NFL on NFL Network During 2010 Season
| Date | Game | Net | Rating | vs. ’09 | Viewers (000) | vs. ’09 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thu., 11/11/10 |
BAL 21, ATL 26
|
NFLN |
3.1
|
29%
|
5,008
|
28%
|
| Thu., 11/18/10 |
CHI 16, MIA 0
|
NFLN |
3.3
|
74%
|
5,418
|
81%
|
| Thu., 11/25/10 |
CIN 10, NYJ 26
|
NFLN |
3.4
|
13%
|
7,106
|
16%
|
| Thu., 12/2/10 |
HOU 24, PHI 34
|
NFLN |
3.3
|
74%
|
5,406
|
76%
|
| Thu., 12/9/10 |
IND 30, TEN 28
|
NFLN |
3.3
|
18%
|
5,394
|
19%
|
| Thu., 12/16/10 |
SF 7, SD 34
|
NFLN |
2.9
|
-24%
|
4,890
|
-21%
|
| Thu., 12/23/10 |
CAR 3, PIT 27
|
NFLN |
2.4
|
—
|
4,394
|
—
|
| Sat., 12/25/10 |
DAL 26, ARI 27
|
NFLN |
3.8
|
15%
|
7,843
|
14%
|
(Viewership from TV By the Numbers; DAL/ARI rating from Sports Business Daily; CAR/PIT rating courtesy TV By the Numbers’ Robert Seidman; NFL Network season averages from NFL Network press release)
