Ratings slipped for the Browns’ first Sunday Night Football game in 11 years.
Rams-Browns averaged a 10.8 rating and 18.59 million viewers on the Week 3 edition of SNF, down 6% in ratings and 4% in viewership from last year (Patriots-Lions: 11.5, 19.46M), but up 7% and 6% respectively from 2017 (Oakland-Washington: 10.1, 17.48M).
L.A.’s win tops only 2017 as the lowest rated Week 3 SNF game since 2009 (Colts-Cardinals: 10.7) and the least-watched since 2010 (Jets-Dolphins: 18.15M).
Ratings were the same as the last time Cleveland was on SNF, in Week 2 of the 2008 season against the Steelers. Compared to that 2008 game, viewership increased 4% (from 17.84M), though population growth over the past decade may account for much of that.
Unlike last year, SNF faced competition from the Primetime Emmy Awards on FOX, which averaged a record-low 6.98 million viewers. That was slightly stronger competition than FOX offered last year, when it averaged 5.88 million for a line-up of “911,” “Family Guy,” and “Rel.”
Cleveland led all markets Sunday night with a 38.5 rating and a 60 share, its highest ever for NBC’s Sunday Night Football. Keep in mind the Browns have only appeared on SNF twice since NBC acquired rights. Columbus, Ohio, also scored its highest NBC SNF rating with a 23.8.
New Orleans was the top neutral market (22.9), followed by Dayton, Ohio (19.9) and Buffalo (15.9). Los Angeles ranked 12th at a 15.3.
Sunday’s game averaged a 6.1 rating in adults 18-49 (-4%), tied as the lowest for SNF in Week 3 since 2005, the last time the series aired on ESPN (Giants-Chargers: 4.3). It also pulled a 4.3 in adults 18-34 (-10%), also the lowest in Week 3 since 2005 (3.8).
