NFL Ratings: NFL Network Up, Fox, NBC, ESPN Down From '07
Fox earned a 14.6 final Nielsen rating (23.2 million viewers) for its late-window coverage on Sunday afternoon, which was highlighted by Eagles-Cowboys. The 14.6 marks an 8.1% increase from a 13.5 rating (21.2 million viewers) in Week 15 last year, when the late window featured Eagles-Giants. Fox’ Sunday game telecast ran over into “The OT”, which earned an 8.4 final rating (13.5 million viewers), helping Fox to the primetime win in adults 18-49, while the net finished tied for second with NBC in viewers to CBS, which aired “60 Minutes” and the “Survivor: China” Reunion Special. To date, Fox is averaging a 13.9/26 for its Sunday late-window games, down 2.1% from a 14.2/27 for the same period last year.
NBC: Redskins-Giants drew a 9.5 final rating (14.6 million viewers) on “Sunday Night Football” this past weekend, winning the night in viewers. However, the game was down 4.0% from a 9.9 (15.3 million viewers) for the comparable Chiefs-Chargers game last year. For the ’07 season to date, NBC is averaging a 10.1 (16.1 million viewers) for 15 telecasts, down 9.8% from an 11.2 rating (17.4 million viewers), but ranks as the fifth-best program in all of primetime TV for '07.
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RANK
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PROGRAM
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NET
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NIGHT
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1
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"American Idol'
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Fox
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Wednesday
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2
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"American Idol'
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Fox
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Tuesday
|
|
3
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"Dancing With The Stars"
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ABC
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Monday
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|
4
|
"Dancing With The Stars" |
ABC
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Tuesday
|
|
5
|
"Sunday Night Football" |
NBC
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Sunday
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ESPN: ESPN earned a 9.5 coverage area rating (12.8 million viewers) for Bears-Vikings on “MNF”, down 15.2% from an 11.2 (14.2 million viewers) for Bengals-Colts last year. The game gave ESPN a win for the night among all cable and broadcast nets in men and adults 18-34, 18-49 and 25-54. To date, ESPN is averaging an 8.7 coverage area rating (11.4 million viewers), down 13.0% from a 10.0 rating (12.4 million viewers) through Week 15 last season.
NFL NETWORK: Thursday night’s Broncos-Texans game on NFL Net earned a 5.5 coverage area rating (3.3 million viewers), up 12.2% from a 4.9 (2.6 million viewers) for 49ers-Seahawks in the comparable telecast last year. The game was also the most-watched cable show among men 18-49 for the night, averaging 1.2 million viewers, up 22.4% over the 980,000 viewers for last year’s game. On Saturday night, the net earned a 3.7 coverage area rating (2.2 million viewers) for Bengals-49ers, down 50.6% from a 7.5 rating (4.1 million viewers) for the comparable Cowboys-Falcons game last year. Through five telecasts, the net is averaging a 7.3 coverage area rating, up 28.1% from a 5.7 through five games last season (THE DAILY).
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