In its return to NFL Network, Thursday Night Football TV ratings pulled even with last year.
Bills-Jets had a 3.6 rating and 5.844 million viewers on NFL Network last night, exactly even with Falcons-Buccaneers last year (3.6, 5.844M), but down 14% and 12% respectively from the network’s third exclusive Thursday night game last season, Titans-Jaguars in Week 11 (4.2, 6.6M).
NFL Network has now averaged 7.1 million viewers for three exclusive Thursday Night Football games, up 14% from the same point last year (6.2M). Including last Sunday’s 9:30 AM ET game from London, it is averaging 6.2 million (+11%).
The improved performance on NFL Network comes despite a slight decline for the over-the-air simulcasts on CBS. The five games on CBS and NFL Network averaged 14.1 million viewers, per Sports Business Daily, down 4% from last year (14.7M).
While Thursday’s game pulled dead even overall, ratings fell in all three key young adult demographics — 13% in adults 18-34 (from 1.6 to 1.3), 9% in adults 18-49 (from 2.1 to 1.9), and 7% in adults 25-54 (from 2.5 to 2.3). Ratings increased 8% in adults 50+ (from 2.45 to 2.6).
The complete list of 2017 NFL TV ratings is available here.
[Thu. numbers via Programming Insider 11.3; additional info from Sports Business Daily 11.3]
