NFL Christmas ratings were a mixed bag, while the Cowboys posted their worst performance on “America’s Game of the Week” in years.
Monday’s Steelers-Texans NFL Christmas special scored an 8.9 overnight rating on NBC and NFL Network, up 27% from Steelers-Ravens on NFL Network alone last season (7.0).
It was the top overnight of Christmas Day, topping Monday Night Football and all five NBA games, including the Cavaliers-Warriors matchup on ABC (5.5). It outperformed every NBA Christmas Day game in at least 20 years.
With that said, the 8.9 is the third-lowest for an NFL Network simulcast this season. Dolphins-Ravens had an 8.4 on CBS in Week 8 and Broncos-Colts had a 7.4 on NBC in Week 15.
Later in the night, Raiders-Eagles had a 6.7 on ESPN’s aforementioned MNF — down 40% from last year’s Christmas night game, Chiefs-Broncos on NBC (11.2). Compared to last year’s Week 16 edition of MNF, it fell 37% from Lions-Cowboys (10.7). The 6.7 is the lowest for MNF in Week 16 since Falcons-Lions on a Saturday night in 2012 (6.6).
Shifting to the weekend, Sunday’s Week 16 national window — Seahawks-Cowboys in 87% of markets — scored a 13.5 on FOX, up 53% from last year (mostly Buccaneers-Saints: 8.8)* but down 20% from 2015 (mostly Packers-Cardinals: 16.8). Last year’s telecast aired on a Saturday to avoid Christmas Day.
The 13.5 is the lowest for a Cowboys game in the late doubleheader window this season (5 telecasts). It is also the lowest for Dallas on the FOX “Game of the Week” in at least a decade. Keep in mind Dallas has put up lower numbers in the window on CBS, including a 13.1 against Cincinnati last year.
Earlier in the day, regional action featuring Falcons-Saints in 45% of markets had a 9.1 — down 17% from last year (mostly Packers-Vikings: 10.9)* and down 14% from 2015 (mostly Panthers-Falcons: 10.6).
The CBS singleheader, featuring Patriots-Bills in 42% of markets, had a 9.6 — up 20% from last year (8.0) but down 13% from 2015 (11.0).
Rounding out the weekend, Vikings-Packers had a 9.0 overnight on a special Saturday edition of Sunday Night Football — down 20% from Chiefs-Broncos on Christmas night last year (11.2) and down 22% from Vikings-Giants in 2015 (11.5). The 9.0 is tied as the lowest for the SNF package since 2011, matching Colts-Texans last year.
It did top the previous Saturday NFL game on broadcast television, Chargers-49ers on CBS and NFL Network in 2014 (8.9). That was part of the Thursday Night Football package.
* Last year, the early doubleheader game served as the FOX “Game of the Week” with the network’s lead announce team working Packers-Vikings.
[Wknd. numbers from NBC, FOX, CBS, Sports Business Daily 12.26]
