A low-key matchup resulted in a double-digit ratings drop for Thursday Night Football. Plus: good ratings news for a trio of soccer properties; lower numbers for NASCAR and IndyCar; and more.
Thursday Night Football down with low-key matchup
The latest edition of NFL Thursday Night Football (Falcons-Panthers) averaged a 7.0 rating and 11.68 million viewers on FOX and NFL Network, down 16% in ratings and 13% in viewership from Week 8 last year (Washington-Minnesota: 8.3, 13.48M) and down 7% and 3% respectively from 2018 (Dolphins-Texans: 7.5, 12.05M).
Despite the decline, the Falcons’ win averaged more viewers than all-but-one non-NFL sportscast since January — Game 6 of the World Series on Tuesday (12.27M).
UCL group stage hits high, EPL and NWSL up
Wednesday’s Juventus-Barcelona UEFA Champions League group stage match averaged 749,000 viewers on UniMas, the largest UCL group stage audience ever on any network. The previous high was 675,000 for Liverpool-PSG on Univision on September 2018.
Elsewhere in Europe, the English Premier League season is averaging 477,000 across NBC’s TV and digital platforms, up 5% from the same point on the calendar last year (9/14/19-10/27/19: 455K). Keep in mind that last year’s average does not include the first several weeks of the season, which began in August.
Shifting to domestic action, the NWSL fall series averaged 383,000 on CBS. The seven matches on CBS this year — five in the fall and two in the NWSL Challenge Cup over the summer — drew the seven largest audiences in league history. Viewership rose more than 500% from last year on ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNEWS, with the caveat that the CBS matches are the only ones on Nielsen-rated television.
NASCAR Texas rainout low; IndyCar season and finale down
Wednesday’s thrice-delayed NASCAR Cup Series playoff race from Texas averaged 1.20 million viewers on NBCSN, the smallest Cup Series audience of the year. The start of the race last Sunday averaged 1.82 million and the corresponding Xfinity Series race, which was run as scheduled on Saturday, had 820,000 (+9%).
In other racing action, IndyCar’s season finale at St. Petersburg averaged a 0.41 and 671,000 on NBC last Sunday — down 18% in ratings and 8% in viewership from last year’s September finale at Laguna Sega (0.50, 732K), but up 28% and 36% respectively from last year’s St. Petersburg race, which opened the season in March and aired on NBCSN (0.32, 495K).
The full IndyCar season averaged 971,000 viewers across NBC’s TV and digital platforms (-12%). Excluding the record-low Indy 500 and a Friday afternoon race on USA Network, the season average of 664,000 marked a 2% increase over last year.
Rounding out the recent slate, the Formula 1 Portuguese Grand Prix averaged a 0.33 and 572,000 on ESPN2 last Sunday. It was the first F1 race there since 1996.
Plus: PGA Tour, Skating, Walton doc
Last Sunday’s final round of the PGA Tour ZOZO Championship averaged a 0.53 rating and 860,000 viewers on Golf Channel, up 10% in ratings and 9% in viewership from Tiger Woods’ win at the event last year (0.48, 789K). Third round coverage jumped 46% and 48% respectively to a 0.41 and 666,000. … Skate America, the first event in the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating, averaged a 0.51 and 766,000 (-7%) on NBC last Saturday, with additional coverage on NBCSN chipping in 184,000 (flat). … The Bill Walton-narrated, Grateful Dead-scored documentary “Fire on the Mountain” averaged more viewers on ESPN Wednesday (245K) than a live MLS match the same night (Timbers-Galaxy: 209K).
[Nielsen estimates from Programming Insider 10.30, Univision, NBC Sports PR 10.28, NWSL 10.22, ShowBuzz Daily 10.27, 10.29]
