Ratings roundup — a season-low for Thursday Night Football and the latest numbers from the NBA, NASCAR and NHL.
TNF hits low for Jets-Colts
The latest edition of Thursday Night Football (Jets-Colts) averaged a 6.7 rating and 11.65 million viewers on FOX and NFL Network, down 11% in ratings and 12% in viewership from last year, which faced presidential election competition (Packers-49ers: 7.5, 13.17M), and down 21% and 17% from 2019 (49ers-Cardinals: 8.5, 14.00M).
The Colts’ easy win ranks as the lowest rated and least-watched TNF simulcast since Giants-Eagles opposite a presidential debate last year (5.9, 10.07M). Outside of that game, it was the lowest rated and least-watched since December 2018 (Jaguars-Titans: 6.7, 10.76M).
Warriors in three of top six games thus far
Wednesday’s Hornets-Warriors NBA regular season game averaged 1.76 million viewers on ESPN, up 37% from Bucks-Clippers in 2019 (1.29M) and the fifth-largest audience of the young season. Golden State has played in three of the top six games thus far, more than any other team. Ratings were not immediately available.
Earlier in the night, Hawks-Nets drew a 0.8 rating and 1.3 million — down 20% and 13% respectively from Warriors-Rockets in ’19 (1.0, 1.49M).
In other action, TNT drew 1.03 million viewers for Heat-Mavericks and 866,000 for Pelicans-Suns opposite Game 6 of the World Series Tuesday — up 24% and down 1% respectively from the comparable Thursday doubleheader in ’19 (Celtics-Hornets: 830K; Blazers-Clippers: 878K).
Going back to the previous week, ESPN drew a 0.57 (-37%) and 1.01 million (-29%) for Hornets-Heat and a 0.54 (-66%) and 937,000 (-64%) for Mavericks-Nuggets on October 29. The comparable games in 2019 did not face the World Series. The network also drew a 0.60 (-3%) and 1.02 million (+8%) for Hawks-Pelicans and a 0.64 (+21%) and 1.07 million (+31%) for Grizzlies-Blazers on October 27. The comparable games in 2019 faced a World Series Game 7.
NASCAR Martinsville ratings dip
Last Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series playoff race from Martinsville (Va.) averaged a 1.6 rating and 2.63 million viewers on NBC, down a tick in ratings and 2% in viewership from last year (1.7, 2.72M) but up 18% and 17% respectively from 2019, when it aired on NBCSN as the third-to-last race of the season (1.4, 2.25M). After gains for six-straight races, three of the last four have declined.
The equivalent Xfinity Series race drew a 0.51 and 863,000 on NBCSN, well below last year’s edition on NBC (0.83, 1.32M).
TNT’s late night NHL games no match for pregame show
Wednesday’s Blues-Kings NHL regular season game averaged a season-low 209,000 viewers on TNT, down 41% from Penguins-Lightning on NBCSN in 2019, which aired in an earlier window (356K). The game itself averaged fewer viewers than the TNT pregame show, which drew 266,000. The same occurred a week earlier, when TNT’s Flyers-Oilers game (296K) trailed the pregame (357K).
The quirk of the pregame outdrawing the game is almost certainly due to the comparably large lead-in from Turner’s All Elite Wrestling program, which drew 878,000 on Wednesday and 941,000 the week prior.
[Nielsen estimates from Programming Insider 11.5, ShowBuzz Daily 11.2, 11.4]
