Ratings were down for each NFL window on Sunday of Week 9. CBS led the way with its national window. The 12.8 overnight rating for the window, which saw Colts-Packers in 87% of markets, was down 20% from Week 9 last year, when the net featured Broncos-Colts. CBS also saw an 18% drop for its regional window. Meanwhile, NBC saw a 20% for its Week 9 "SNF" telecast. NBC averaged an 11.7 overnight for Broncos-Raiders, down from Eagles-Cowboys last year. The net will still likely win primetime among all nets. Fox' singleheader yesterday also drew a 12.4 overnight, down 9% from last year. Cable news networks may have taken away of the NFL audience yesterday, as news regarding Hillary Clinton and the FBI broke around 3:15pm ET. The combined rating for CNN/Fox News/MSNBC from 1:00-7:45pm was up 191% compared to the same Sunday last year (Austin Karp, Assistant Managing Editor).
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NFL WEEK 9 SUNDAY OVERNIGHT RATINGS
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NET
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'16 GAME
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RAT.
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'15 GAME
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RAT.
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% +/-
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Fox
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(single)
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12.4
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(single)
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13.6
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-8.8%
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CBS
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(regional)
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7.8
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(regional)
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9.5
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-17.9%
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CBS
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Colts-Packers (87%)
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12.8
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Broncos-Colts (96%)
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16.0
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-20.0%
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NBC
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Broncos-Raiders
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11.7
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Eagles-Cowboys
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14.7
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-20.4%
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RAKE IT IN: ADWEEK's Jason Lynch noted Fox Sports in "addition to its World Series windfall" is also "raking in more money than ever for its NFL package." Fox Exec VP/Sports Sales Neil Mulcahy said, "The way our package is laid out, you're never going to have the falloff that the prime-time games do. ... This is why we always wanted the NFC package." Lynch noted advertisers are as "eager to be on board as ever." According to Standard Media Index data, the average 30-second spot for Fox NFL games in September was up 11% over last September. Mulcahy: "Year to year, and you have to take $35 million to $40 million of DraftKings that we did not write this year, but including that, our dollars are over where we were last year" (
ADWEEK.com, 11/4).
SMOOTH OPERATOR: In Baltimore, David Zurawik writes CBS' Ian Eagle was "confident, steady and smooth" as the play-by-play announcer during yesterday's Steelers-Ravens contest. Eagle is a "no-drama professional in a world of hotdogs." He is a "superb table-setter, and he showed that skill from the minute the CBS cameras started." Perhaps the "best testament to Eagle's skill is that he was not working with his normal analyst partner, and he still made the telecast seem mostly seamless." Rich Gannon worked alongside Eagle, and Zurawik writes he "can't remember Gannon sounding better." The two "fed off each other nicely all afternoon" (Baltimore SUN, 11/7).
WALKING A FINE LINE: In N.Y., Bob Raissman notes during "Fox NFL Sunday" yesterday, rules analyst Mike Pereira "took it to" Redskins CB Josh Norman, who served as an in-studio guest. Pereira said that Norman's most recent fine -- $25,000 for his comments about the officiating after last week's tie against the Bengals -- had "everything to do with him going personal on an official." Pereira said to Norman, "Don't call out (an official). If you don't call out a person you don't have that envelope (from the NFL) waiting when you come back (home)." Raissman notes Pereira's "blunt approach was in sharp contrast" to the cast of Fox' pregame show, who "acted as if they would be fined for asking Norman a tough question" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 11/7).
