ESPN saw a small overnight ratings uptick for its Week 7 "MNF" tilt. The Eagles' 34-24 win over the Redskins last night averaged a 7.9 overnight, up slightly from a 7.8 last year for Texans-Broncos. Two seasons ago in Week 7, ESPN drew a 9.0 overnight for Ravens-Cardinals. Last night's rating peaked toward the middle of the game, drawing a 9.5 rating from 9:45-10:00pm ET. Redskins-Eagles drew a 31.5 rating in Philadelphia (16.4 on ESPN, 15.1 on WPHL-Ind.), while DC ranked No. 2 last night with a 21.3 local rating (11.0 on ESPN, 10.3 on WJLA-ABC). Rounding out the top five markets were Norfolk (16.9), Richmond-Petersburg (14.7) and Baltimore (12.2). Season to date, ESPN remains the lone NFL TV partner seeing a ratings gain, averaging a 7.8 overnight for "MNF," which is up from a 7.5 through Week 7 last season (Austin Karp, Assistant Managing Editor).
GETTING IN THE GAME: ESPN.com's Kevin Seifert wrote he had a "blast watching more than half" of "SNF" via NBC's "SkyCam" view, one "made necessary by the descent of fog that blocked traditional camera angles." Seifert: "It felt like I was playing Madden. I saw routes develop from the quarterback's point of view. I noticed holes develop in the trenches." The camera's proximity "provided an in-person feel that we don't usually get from the conventional sideline shot." It "seemed as though NBC had stumbled into something wonderful and new and perhaps paradigm-shifting." "SNF" Exec Producer Fred Gaudelli said some of the system's "limitations" have stymied efforts to use it more frequently. Gaudelli: "For one, the ball is always moving away from the camera. Two, there are some geographical limitations to its fly zone." Seifert wrote there is "no doubt that viewers packed social media with praise and hope Sunday night" (ESPN.com, 10/23).
BEST IN SHOW: Falcons-Patriots delivered a 37.6 local rating in Boston, which is the market's best NFL figure of the season, as well as the highest-rated program in Boston last week on all of TV. The 37.6 marks the second-highest regular-season rating for the Patriots over the past two seasons and the highest since Week 12 last year (Patriots).
NIGHT TIME IS THE RIGHT TIME: In Miami, Barry Jackson notes though no public announcement was made, the NFL "informed all involved parties" over the last two days that Raiders-Dolphins will remain NBC’s "SNF" game on Nov. 5 and will "not be flexed to the afternoon." This will be the Dolphins’ "first Sunday night appearance" since '10. The Dolphins will have "three consecutive nationally televised games" (MIAMI HERALD, 10/24).
STREAMING ISSUES: In Toronto, Morgan Campbell noted late last week, the NFL and international streaming service DAZN "reached agreements allowing several cable providers to resume selling" the NFL Sunday Ticket package. But the new agreement "doesn’t cover Bell and Telus, whose subscribers still can’t access Sunday Ticket without buying DAZN." Campbell: "Until streaming becomes as reliable as cable, the NFL risks alienating customers." DAZN insists its technology is "sound," and that the "highly-publicized glitches affected a small percentage of subscribers." The company said that it "didn’t account for disparities in connectivity speeds before launching in Canada, and has worked to tailor its streams accordingly." DAZN Managing Dir of Rights & Strategic Development Alex Rice said that the company is "already working to address concerns customers have raised over the first half of the NFL season, and that long-term goals include an interface that allows for TV-style channel swapping." The company is "working in the short term to mend its tattered reputation, a campaign that includes visiting dissatisfied customers" (TORONTO STAR, 10/23).
