With a carriage dispute keeping NFL Network from providing its usual simulcast, Thursday Night Football still managed an increase on FOX.
Last night’s Rams-Seahawks Thursday Night Football game averaged an 8.6 rating and 14.26 million viewers FOX, up 8% in ratings and viewership from last year on FOX and NFL Network (Patriots-Colts: 8.0, 13.22M), but down 9% and 8% respectively from 2017 on CBS and NFL Network (Patriots-Buccaneers: 9.4, 15.43M).
The Seahawks’ narrow win aired solely on FOX due to a carriage dispute between Fox Corporation and Dish Network. Dish and its streaming platform Sling have dropped the FOX broadcast network and all Fox Sports channels. In response, as Sports Business Daily reported Friday, Fox decided that NFL Network would not simulcast TNF on Dish or Sling.
Per SBD, because NFL Network is required by contract to provide the same programming to Dish that it does to rival distributors, the decision to block the simulcast extended to all other cable, satellite and streaming providers.
Between the Dish blackout and the lack of a simulcast, Thursday’s results can be considered impressive (though it is worth noting that FOX, a broadcast network, is available to anyone with an antenna).
Including the streaming audience on Amazon Prime, the game had 15.0 million viewers (+9%).
TNF drew a 4.4 rating in adults 18-49, up a tick from last year (4.3) but down 13% from 2017 (5.1). It also scored a 3.2 in adults 18-34 (-6%).
[Nielsen estimates from Programming Insider 10.4, NFL Media/Twitter 10.4, Sports Business Daily 10.4]
