NFL Week 15 Overnights: Cowboys' OT Win Over Steelers Leads CBS To Best Rating Of '12

CBS topped all NFL telecasts yesterday with the net’s best overnight rating this season. Fueled by the Cowboys' 27-24 OT win over the Steelers in the late window (90% of markets), CBS earned a 17.2 overnight Nielsen rating. That figure is down from a 19.5 overnight for the Week 15 late window last year, which featured Patriots-Broncos. CBS’ national window peaked at a 20.8 rating from 7:30-8:00pm ET as the game was in OT. With the runover into primetime, CBS will likely get a win for the night in primetime. The net’s early window regional coverage also earned a 10.8 overnight, up 50% from last year. Meanwhile, NBC earned a 15.2 overnight for the 49ers win over the Patriots on “SNF” last night, up 35% from an 11.3 rating for Ravens-Chargers in Week 15 last year. Shortly after the start of the telecast, the game on NBC switched to President Obama’s address from Newtown, Conn. (8:36-8:56pm), and the game was moved to CNBC and NBC Sports Net, while continuing to be streamed online. The President’s address is included in the “SNF” overnight. Despite likely finishing second on the night to CBS, “SNF” was the top-rated program in primetime. The game peaked at a 16.8 rating from 9:30-10:00pm while the 49ers were well ahead. The audience dropped after that, but picked up again late in the game as the Patriots mounted a comeback, giving NBC a 16.1 rating in the last half hour. The telecast earned a 36.8 local rating in Boston and a 26.8 rating in the S.F.-Oakland-San Jose market (Austin Karp, THE DAILY).

NFL WEEK 15 OVERNIGHT NIELSEN RATINGS
NET	'12 GAME	RAT.	'11 GAME	RAT.	% +/-
Fox	(single)	n/a	(single)	15.0	n/a
CBS	(regional)	10.8	(regional)	7.2	50.0%
CBS	Steelers-Cowboys (90%)	17.2	Patriots-Broncos (79%)	19.5	-11.8%
NBC	49ers-Patriots	15.2	Ravens-Chargers	11.3	34.5%

QUOTH THE RAVENS: In Denver, Dusty Saunders writes CBS' Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf "turned in solid performances" during yesterday's Broncos-Ravens game, although Dierdorf and an "early on-screen graphic referred to Elvis Dumervil as Von Dumervil." Gumbel, "shortly after, mentioned Dumervil on a tackle, emphasizing his first name is Elvis" (DENVER POST, 12/17). In Baltimore, David Zurawik called the Gumbel-Dierdorf broadcast team "sorry." Zurawik noted it sounded like Dierdorf referred to Gumbel, his broadcast "partner of more than six years ... as 'Bill.'" Zurawik: "I have said everything there is to say about these guys -- and they just keep delivering broadcasts that are not anything close to worthy of the league or its TV fans." From the "truck to the booth, they seem incapable of the kind of concentration and focus it takes to deliver a quality telecast" (BALTIMORESUN.com, 12/16). Meanwhile, in N.Y., Phil Mushnick writes the Broncos-Ravens broadcast was "stricken by a high/wide primary camera that repeatedly allowed QBs Peyton Manning and Joe Flacco, when they faked a handoff or dropped back to pass, to disappear from view." CBS got "so close it missed a lot." Once, before "taking the snap from the shotgun, Flacco was only in half-view." Manning’s passes "appeared out of nowhere." Mushnick: "Same with running backs who took handoffs: They were out of frame during the snap" (N.Y. POST, 12/17).