The Cowboys and Patriots sent NFL ratings back to the lofty levels of mid-decade.
Sunday’s Cowboys-Patriots NFL national window averaged a 16.5 rating and 29.47 million viewers on FOX, marking the highest rated regular season NFL game in four years — since Seahawks-Cowboys on FOX in 2015 (17.0) — and the highest rated Week 12 game since at least 1998.
New England’s win also ranks as the most-watched regular season game since last Thanksgiving (Washington-Dallas: 30.48M), the most-watched non-Thanksgiving game since 2014 (Packers-Patriots: 30.88M), and the most-watched Cowboys-Patriots game in the Tom Brady era (five total).
The previous high for a Cowboys-Patriots game was 29.13 million in 2007, during New England’s undefeated regular season. Keep in mind ratings were higher both for that 2007 game (18.0) and their 2011 meeting (17.1).
The numbers were particularly strong the standards of the late 2010s, a period of relatively lower ratings for NFL games. The game was just the second regular season window over the past three seasons to exceed a 15.0 rating, and the seventh to top 25 million viewers. That compares to 28 and 46 windows, respectively, over the previous three seasons.
Beyond the NFL highs, Cowboys-Patriots also delivered television’s highest rating since the Super Bowl and its largest audience since the Academy Awards on ABC in February (29.56M). It outdrew every non-NFL sporting event since Game 7 of the 2016 Cubs-Indians World Series (21.8, 40.05M).
Ratings increased 22% and viewership 25% from Week 12 last year (mostly Steelers-Broncos: 13.5, 23.66M) and 42% and 48% respectively from 2017 (mostly Saints-Rams: 11.6, 19.90M). Those windows aired on CBS.
Locally, Boston turned in a 42.6 rating and 67 share and Dallas-Ft. Worth a 32.5/62.
The game averaged a 7.8 rating in adults 18-49 (+26%), a season-high. It also averaged a 5.6 in adults 18-34 (+30%).
Earlier in the day, regional action featuring Seahawks-Eagles averaged a 9.0 and 15.38 million (both +11%), the highest for that window in Week 12 since 2011 (9.9, 15.57M).
[Nielsen estimates from ShowBuzz Daily 11.26]
