NFL ratings were a mixed bag in Week 8, with Packers-Rams delivering the league’s best overnight since Week 3.
The Week 8 NFL national window, featuring Packers-Rams in 94% of markets, had a 15.0 overnight rating on FOX Sunday — down 2% from Dallas-Washington last year (15.3) but up 2% from Packers-Falcons in 2016 (14.7).
The 15.0 ranks as the third-highest NFL overnight of the season, behind the Week 1 and Week 3 national windows on FOX. Both of those telecasts featured the Cowboys.
The 15.0 was also the highest overnight rating of the weekend, finishing comfortably ahead of the Red Sox-Dodgers World Series Game 5 later in the night (12.3).
Airing opposite that World Series game, Saints-Vikings scored a 9.7 overnight rating on NBC’s Sunday Night Football — up 3% from last year (Steelers-Lions: 9.4) but down 16% from 2016 (Eagles-Cowboys: 11.6).
The 9.7 is the third-lowest for Sunday Night Football opposite the World Series since the two events began airing head-to-head in 2010. It ranks ahead of last year and 2011 (Saints-Colts: 8.2).
Sunday Night Football has now lost to the World Series in three straight years, after winning the head-to-head in five of the previous six.
In other Week 8 action, CBS scored a 10.3 overnight for its singleheader — up 13% from last year (9.1) and even with 2016. The singleheader has increased in five of eight weeks this season.
FOX scored an 8.1 for the first half of its doubleheader (-6%) and NFL Network earned a 3.7 for the Eagles-Jaguars game from London. Overnights for last year’s comparable Vikings-Browns game on the network were not available.
[Numbers from NBC Sports PR, Fox Sports PR/Twitter 10.29, CBS Sports PR, Sports Business Daily 10.29]
