CBS and NFL Network combined for a 11.2 overnight rating for the Giants' 45-14 win over the Redskins on "TNF" from 8:30-11:45pm ET a figure that is between the 13.7 overnight for Steelers-Ravens in Week 2 and the 8.5 overnight in Week 3 for Falcons-Buccaneers. NFL Network last year drew a 5.3 overnight for 49ers-Rams in Week 4. CBS and NFL Network also combined for a 10.7 rating in primetime (8:00-11:00pm), beating out the No. 2-ranked broadcast network by 27%. Giants-Redskins also peaked at a 12.8 rating from 9:30-10:00pm. The game had to compete with Yankees SS Derek Jeter's final home game last night. YES Network drew a record-setting audience for for the game from 7:00-10:45pm, which saw Jeter record a walk-off hit. However, CBS and NFL Network combined for and 14.1 local rating and 1.443 million viewers in N.Y. for Giants-Redskins, which compared to 1.245 million viewers on YES Net for Yankees-Orioles. DC drew a combined 23.9 local rating for Giants-Redskins (Austin Karp, Assistant Managing Editor).
CLOSE CALL: In DC, Scott Allen notes CBS' Phil Simms "made it through most" of Thursday night's Giants-Redskins broadcast "using ‘Washington’ and ‘the Washington team,’ but slipped up and said 'Redskins' with 9 minutes remaining in the game." Simms said, "Can the Redskins -- can the Washington offensive line hang in there and block the big defensive front" (WASHINGTONPOST.com, 9/26).
PRICE POINTS: AD AGE's Jeanine Poggi noted the NFL "continues to dominate as the most expensive programming for advertisers," with NBC's "SNF" and CBS' "TNF" "coming in No. 1 and No. 2 in broadcast, respectively, on Ad Age's annual pricing survey." On average, advertisers "pay $627,300 for a 30-second spot" on "SNF," up about 6% from last season. Meanwhile, 30-second spots "average $483,333" for "TNF" games on CBS. There are "several cable programs that challenge broadcast as the most expensive in which to buy commercial time," including ESPN's "MNF," which costs about $400,000. But it is "difficult to compare many cable ad packages to those of broadcast because cable often includes multiple airings and repeats of a show" (ADAGE.com, 9/25).
