CBS put up some mediocre numbers for its final NFL doubleheader of the regular season.
The Week 17 NFL national window on CBS, featuring Titans/Colts in 71% of TV markets, earned just a 9.7 final rating and 16.766 million viewers on CBS Sunday afternoon — down 13% and 11%, respectively, from last year (PIT/MIA*: 11.2, 18.844 mil).
Last year’s Week 17 national window on CBS aired in the 1 PM timeslot.
The 9.7 rating is easily the lowest of the season for the NFL national window on any network. The low number can be partially attributed to competition from the FOX national window (CHI/GB*: 14.7, 26.147 mil), which aired at the same time.
The CBS national window was the top television program of the week in six NFL markets: Indianapolis (TEN/IND: 45.3), Nashville (TEN/IND: 29.2), Jacksonville (JAX/HOU: 28.2), San Diego (SD/DEN: 25.1), Houston (JAX/HOU: 21.2), and Denver (SD/DEN: 19.0).
Earlier in the day, regional NFL action featuring Steelers/Browns earned a 7.3 final rating and 12.328 million viewers, down 5% in ratings and viewership from last year (BAL/OAK: 7.7, 12.945 mil).
Last year’s comparable window aired in the 4:15 PM timeslot.
The early window was the top program of the week in eight NFL markets: Pittsburgh (PIT/CLE: 50.0), Kansas City (OAK/KC: 40.9), Baltimore (CIN/BAL: 37.7), Boston (MIA/NE: 35.9), Cincinnati (CIN/BAL: 27.2), Cleveland (PIT/CLE: 25.8), Buffalo (BUF/NYJ: 25.0), and Miami (MIA/NE: 12.6).
(Ratings/viewership from Sports Business Daily; local numbers from NFL press release via Fang’s Bites)
