Week two of the NFL season brought increased viewership to all-but-one of the league’s broadcast partners.
Sunday’s NFL national window (Chiefs-Chargers in 73% of markets) averaged a 10.1 rating and 18.87 million viewers on CBS, marking the lowest Week 2 rating in the window since at least 2000 and smallest audience since 2007 (17.44M).
The telecast, which also included Ravens-Texans in 27% of markets, declined 23% in ratings and 19% in viewership from Week 2 on FOX last year (mostly Saints-Rams: 13.2, 23.34M) and down 16% and 10% respectively from 2018 on CBS (mostly Patriots-Jaguars: 12.0, 20.97M).
Despite the decline, the national window was narrowly the top NFL telecast of the week — and by extension television’s top program.
Ranking second for the week, Patriots-Seahawks averaged a 10.0 and 17.69 million on NBC’s Sunday Night Football — down 3% in ratings but up a fraction of a percent in viewership from last year (Eagles-Falcons: 10.3, 17.64M), but down 15% and 14% respectively from Giants-Cowboys in 2018 (11.7, 20.66M).
Viewership inched up despite unusual competition from Game 2 of the NBA Western Conference Finals on TNT (Nuggets-Lakers: 1.75, 3.17M). The game averaged 18.4 million including streaming (+1%).
The following night, a Saints-Raiders Monday Night Football “Megacast” averaged a 9.2 and 15.59 million across ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC — up 28% in ratings and 32% in viewership from last year on ESPN alone (Browns-Jets: 7.2, 11.80M). The game averaged 7.98 million on ABC and 7.45 million on ESPN.
The Raiders’ win ranks third among Monday Night Football games since 2016, though the multi-network (and broadcast television) aspect provides a caveat.
All three primetime windows in Week 2 posted an increase; as previously noted, Thursday Night Football viewership inched up one percent.
As for the early afternoon windows, Sunday’s FOX singleheader (mostly Falcons-Cowboys, 49ers-Jets or Washington-Arizona) averaged a 9.0 (+1%) and 16.87 million (+11%).
On CBS, the early doubleheader window (mostly Giants-Bears or Broncos-Steelers) had just a 5.4 (-41%) and 9.75 million (-39%), the least-watched Sunday window on broadcast since Week 17 in 2018 (8.89M). The two CBS windows were the only ones in Week 2 to decline.
The full list of 2020 NFL ratings, including select local ratings, is available here.
[Nielsen estimates from ShowBuzz Daily 9.22 a, b; NBC Sports PR/Twitter 9.22, ESPN]
