Fox led all NFL TV windows yesterday with a 13.7 overnight rating, as the national window featured Panthers-Saints in 72% of markets. But that figure is the lowest for any Week 13 national window in a number of years and down 18% from last year, when Giants-Steelers was featured in 85% of markets. Meanwhile, NBC saw a gain for its Week 13 "SNF" telecast. The Seahawks' win over the Eagles last night drew a 13.1 overnight, marking the best Sunday night figure for NBC since a 13.2 for Broncos-Chiefs in '14, which aired during Thanksgiving weekend. Eagles-Seahawks is up 14% from Panthers-Seahawks in Week 13 last year. "SNF" has now seen overnights increase three weeks in a row. The game last night peaked at a 14.0 rating from 10:00-10:30pm ET, with NBC getting a primetime win among all nets. Seattle-Tacoma led the way with a 45.6 local rating, followed by Philadelphia with a 35.3 local rating. Meanwhile, CBS drew a 9.8 overnight for its singleheader yesterday, down 12% from Week 13 last year. However, it was CBS' best singleheader this season to date. Patriots-Bills was CBS' high coverage game in the singleheader window yesterday (Austin Karp, Assistant Managing Editor).
|
NFL WEEK 13 SUNDAY OVERNIGHT RATINGS
|
|
NET
|
'17 WINDOW
|
RAT.
|
'16 WINDOW
|
RAT.
|
% +/-
|
|
CBS
|
(single)
|
9.8
|
(single)
|
11.1
|
-11.7%
|
|
Fox
|
(regional)
|
8.3
|
(regional)
|
7.8
|
6.4%
|
|
Fox
|
Panthers-Saints (72%)
|
13.7
|
Giants-Steelers (85%)
|
16.6
|
-17.5%
|
|
NBC
|
Eagles-Seahawks
|
13.1
|
Panthers-Seahawks
|
11.5
|
13.9%
|
DEFENSIVE ADJUSTMENT: In Baltimore, David Zurawik notes for a stretch of the fourth quarter during Lions-Ravens yesterday, the broadcast team from Fox "did everything right -- and then some." With the Ravens offense on the field, the Fox cameras "suddenly cut to the Ravens sideline" to show LB Terrell Suggs in the "middle of a huddle of defensive players where he was gesturing and talking animatedly." Zurawik: "The question: What was he talking about?" Just over a minute later, Fox sideline reporter Peter Schrager "had the answer." Schrager: "He brought in every member of the defense and he said, ‘You have to put behind you everything that just happened. For winning football, we need to execute. Forget everything that happened the last few drives. Now is what matters. Let’s go out and do this thing.'" That sequence "defines the way a good telecast can take you inside the game." Fans only knew about the contents of the sideline huddle "because of the hustle, team play and excellent coordination between the announcers in the booth, the reporter on the field and the producers and directors" (Baltimore SUN, 12/4).
MORE PLEASE: THE MMQB's Peter King writes, "Memo to Fox: More Chris Spielman." King added, "I love his passion and his realness on the games, calling out loafers and interpreting the why of football so well" (SI.com, 12/4). King also noted Michael Vick interviewed two Falcons WRs for a story yesterday and "got what it wanted -- some good stuff from the normally tight-lipped" Julio Jones and "some star face time between Vick and players" (SI.com, 12/4).
STOPPED AT THE LINE: PRO FOOTBALL TALK's Michael David Smith writes the NFL is "weirdly restrictive about online access to its content." One fan yesterday complained about being "blocked from using the NFL’s streaming service because he was at a game." His device said, “Looks like you’re in or near a stadium." But why would a company "want to deny its best customers access to its product?" The NFL "needs to enter the 21st Century" (PROFOOTBALLTALK.com, 12/4).
