24 million not seem like much in a week where a game averaged 37 million viewers, but Packers-Rams delivered one of the largest audiences of the NFL season.
Last Sunday’s NFL national window (Rams-Packers in 91% of markets) averaged a 13.0 rating and 24.66 million viewers on FOX, marking the fifth-highest rated and sixth-most watched game of the NFL season. It ranks second for the season among Sunday afternoon games behind only the previous week’s late window (mostly Cowboys-Chiefs: 28.06M).
Four of the top six NFL audiences this season have come in a mere one week span, from November 21-28.
Ratings increased 1% and viewership 7% from last year’s marquee matchup of Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes on CBS (Chiefs-Buccaneers: 12.8, 23.12M). Compared to an even higher-profile Cowboys-Patriots game on FOX in 2019, ratings fell 21% (from 16.5) and viewership 16% (from 29.47M).
Earlier in the day, coverage featuring Buccaneers-Colts in 61% of markets drew an 8.3 and 15.07 million — up 7% in ratings and 12% in viewership from last year (ft. Titans-Colts: 7.7, 13.46M) but down 8% and 2% respectively from 2019 (mostly Seahawks-Eagles: 9.0, 15.38M).
For the second-straight Sunday, the FOX doubleheader games were the only ones to increase over last year. NBC’s Sunday Night Football declined for the fourth time in five weeks, with Browns-Ravens averaging an 8.8 (-3%) and 16.23 million (-2%) — the lowest rated Week 12 edition of SNF since ESPN last held rights in 2005 (4.7) and the least-watched since 2007 (15.17M).
ESPN’s Monday Night Football declined for a second-straight week, averaging a 6.1 (-9%) 10.89 million (-4%) for Seattle-Washington — the lowest rated and least-watched Week 12 edition of MNF in three years (Titans-Texans: 6.0, 9.74M).
The CBS singleheader fell a sharper 24% in ratings (to 6.5) and 23% in viewership (to 11.72M).
As previously noted, the top draw of Week 12 was Raiders-Cowboys on Thanksgiving with a 13.1 rating and a whopping 37.84 million viewers on CBS — the largest NFL regular season audience since 1993. For the full list of 2021 NFL ratings, see this page.
[Nielsen estimates from ShowBuzz Daily 12.1, Programming Insider 12.1]
