CBS yesterday drew the best NFL rating of the season with Patriots-Steelers in the national window. The telecast drew a 17.0 overnight rating, passing Fox' 16.1 for Eagles-Rams last week for the best number of the '17 season to date. The 17.0 also is CBS' best NFL regular-season rating since Patriots-Giants drew an 18.3 on Nov. 15, 2015. Yesterday's telecast is up 8% from a 15.8 in Week 15 last year for Patriots-Broncos and is the best for any Week 15 national window (Fox or CBS) since Packers-Cowboys drew an 18.1 in '13. With a dramatic finish, Patriots-Steelers peaked with a 20.5 rating at the end of the game from 7:00-7:30pm ET. CBS' regional window earlier in the day, which featured Vikings-Bengals, drew a 6.7 overnight, a low figure as the Vikings' 34-7 win was flexed out early in the third quarter with the score out of hand. Meanwhile, NBC last night drew a 12.3 overnight for the Cowboys late win over the Raiders. That figure is down 20% from a 15.3 for Buccaneers-Cowboys last year, but up 5% from an 11.7 two years ago for Cardinals-Eagles. Despite the year-over-year drop, "SNF" still won primetime for NBC. The game also peaked at a 13.4 rating from 11:30-11:45pm. Dallas-Ft. Worth led all markets with a 31.2 local rating. The S.F.-Oakland-San Jose market did not rank in the top 10. Fans in Pittsburgh also may have been bummed after the Steelers' controversial loss, as the market only drew a 6.4 local rating for Cowboys-Raiders. That is the lowest "SNF" figure in Pittsburgh since NBC re-acquired rights to the NFL prior to the '06 season (216 games) (Austin Karp, Assistant Managing Editor).
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NFL WEEK 15 SUNDAY OVERNIGHT RATINGS
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NET
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'17 TELECAST
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RAT.
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'16 TELECAST
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RAT.
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% +/-
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Fox
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(single)
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11.6
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(single)
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11.7
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-0.9%
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CBS
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(regional)
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6.7
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(regional)
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11.0
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-39.1%
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CBS
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Patriots-Steelers (91%)
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17.0
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Patriots-Broncos (83%)
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15.8
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7.6%
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NBC
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Cowboys-Raiders
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12.3
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Buccaneers-Cowboys
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15.3
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-19.6%
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CALL IT AS I SEE IT: In Dallas, Barry Horn notes NBC's Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth "delivered the goods calmly, precisely and instantaneously" during Cowboys-Raiders. Michaels was "entertaining on what may come to be known to Raiders fans as 'Papergate,'" when referee Gene Steratore used a "folded piece of paper to determine a crucial late fourth-quarter do-or-die Cowboys first down." Michaels: "High tech is now dead." He added the decision is a "measurement that will live in infamy." Additionally, Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott's return next week was a "powerful subplot." Michaels "mentioned that expected return before he even welcomed Collinsworth to the broadcast." The photos NBC came up with of Elliott "working out in Mexico this week were an added bonus" (
DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 12/18).
TONY, TONY, TONY: CBS' Jim Nantz and Tony Romo called yesterday's Patriots-Steelers game, and golf TV producer Brandt Packer tweeted Romo was "absolutely amazing" during the final three minutes, which included the controversial finish. Packer: "He’s called everything before it’s happened. Wow." Packer also noted CBS lead producer Jim Rikhoff and his crew did a "hell of a job" producing the game. Pittsburgh-based KDKA-FM host Colin Dunlap tweeted Romo was "absolutely spectacular again." ESPN's Damien Woody wrote, "Romo just seems giddy calling games....pretty refreshing." The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Sam Werner tweeted, "Big part of what makes Romo good as an announcer is he genuinely sounds like he’s having fun. Usually a rarity on NFL broadcasts" (TWITTER.com, 12/17). Meanwhile, SI.com's Richard Deitsch named Romo his "Media Person Of The Year." The net "gambled heavily" by naming Romo as its lead NFL game analyst. But Romo "exceeded all expectations as a rookie analyst." Romo’s knowledge of the league "made him an invaluable resource for NFL viewers." His natural enthusiasm and love for football "translated for audiences and he has rightly received praise from fans and the NFL establishment" (SI.com, 12/17). SBJ named Romo one of its people of the year and writes he "brings an infectious excitement to his games" and uses "everyday language to convey his deep knowledge of the game" (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 12/18 issue). In N.Y., Bob Raissman wrote CBS' Phil Simms "deserves some big-time credit" as well. Making the transition from the booth as an analyst to the set of "The NFL Today," Simms has been "informative, opinionated, energetic and funny" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 12/17).
CUTTING ROOM FLOOR: In New Orleans, Chelsea Brasted notes during CBS' broadcast of Jets-Saints, the net "aired footage of a rainy, rumbling St. Charles streetcar," a "typical B-roll." However, as the streetcar "made the turn at Lee Circle, its namesake was still sitting atop the pillar at its center" despite the statue of Gen. Robert E. Lee being "removed" from its perch in May (New Orleans TIMES-PICAYUNE, 12/18). Meanwhile, in Boston, Ben Volin reported there are rumors that ESPN's Jon Gruden is "not happy" with his position as a booth analyst for "Monday Night Football" (BOSTON GLOBE, 12/17).
