Fox led all Week 1 NFL broadcasts with a 16.9 overnight rating for the national window yesterday, which featured the Giants' 20-19 win over the Cowboys in 90% of markets. That figure is up 15% from a 14.7 for last year’s Week 1 national window, which featured Ravens-Broncos on CBS in 80% of markets. Giants-Cowboys was the NBC “SNF” opener last year, drawing a 16.7 overnight for a similar last-second finish. The Cowboys played the 49ers in Fox’ Week 1 national window in ’14, drawing a 17.4 overnight. Meanwhile, NBC last night drew a 14.8 overnight for Patriots-Cardinals, which came down to a missed field goal with 41 seconds left. That is down 11.4% from the Week 1 broadcast last year, though the rating will still deliver NBC a primetime win. The game drew a 37.6 local rating in Boston and a 30.4 rating in Phoenix. CBS for its singleheader drew a 10.2 overnight. The Fox singleheader in Week 1 last year was an 11.7 (Austin Karp, Assistant Managing Editor).
| NFL WEEK 1: SUNDAY OVERNIGHT RATINGS |
| NET |
16 GAME |
OVERNIGHT |
15 NET |
15 GAME |
OVERNIGHT |
| CBS |
(single) |
10.2 |
Fox |
(single) |
11.7 |
| Fox |
(regional) |
10.8 |
CBS |
(regional) |
10.6 |
| Fox |
Giants-Cowboys (90%) |
16.9 |
CBS |
Ravens-Broncos (80%) |
14.7 |
| NBC |
Patriots-Cardinals |
14.8 |
NBC |
Giants-Cowboys |
16.7 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
WEEK 1 REVIEWS: SI.com's Richard Deitsch noted NFL Network's Red Zone channel and host Scott Hanson were "already in mid-season form" with a "perfect match of talent and format." Fox' Chris Myers also was "on top of his game on Oakland's game-winning two-point conversion including noting before the officials called a penalty on that the Raiders' were in danger of an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for excessive celebration" (
SI.com, 9/11). In Baltimore, David Zurawik wrote CBS' Spero Dedes, Solomon Wilcots and Dana Jacobson "clearly did their homework" prior to yesterday's Bills-Ravens game, but the "hype of their game call was almost annoying as the CBS promos." The on-air talent "came to play and put in a decent effort." Zurawik: "As for the production, I liked the different replay angles on the 66-yard touchdown pass to Mike Wallace, especially the overhead, showing the play unfold as it might have been drawn out. But the broadcast was light on video to illustrate points made by the analyst" (
BALTIMORESUN.com, 9/11).
I SEE YOUR TRUE COLORS: In DC, Cindy Boren noted for the most part, TV cameras came up with only patriotic displays as they "scrutinized the sidelines" during the playing of the National Anthem yesterday. The anthem was shown on most broadcasts as part of the league' 9/11 remembrance (WASHINGTONPOST.com, 9/11). In N.Y., Bob Raissman noted the networks broadcasting the NFL typically "'honor America' by blacking out the playing of the anthem in order to cash in." Raissman: "Funny you didn't hear anything about this from ... NFL analysts, mostly former players, who work for ESPN, Fox, CBS, NBC and the NFL Network. The same voices, who either took [49ers QB Colin] Kaepernick to task for his protest or supported it, have absolutely nothing to say while the networks they work for black out the anthem so they can use the time to make millions selling commercials. ... This would put some of these blabbermouths in a position to show their true colors" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 9/11).
