The NFL saw overnight ratings decline for all four of its broadcast windows yesterday for the first time this season. Fox led all NFL telecasts yesterday with Cowboys-Eagles featured in the national window. That telecast earned a 16.2 rating, down 6% from a 17.2 rating for Giants-49ers in the Week 10 national window last year. The net’s national window yesterday also went well into primetime as the net stayed with the 49ers-Rams game, which ended in a tie. Fox earned an 8.4 for its regional window, down 8%. Meanwhile, NBC earned a 13.7 overnight for the Texans-Bears game last night, down 5.5% from a 14.5 for the comparable Patriots-Jets in Week 10 last year. The game led NBC to a win among all networks in primetime last night Chicago topped all markets for the game with a 38.0 local rating, followed by a 32.9 in Houston. CBS earned a 10.5 overnight for its singleheader, down 12% as the net saw four of its six games have a point differential of 20 points or more (Austin Karp, THE DAILY).
| NFL WEEK 10: SUNDAY OVERNIGHT NIELSEN RATINGS |
| NET | '12 TELECAST | RAT. | '11 TELECAST | RAT. | % +/- |
| CBS | (single) | 10.5 | (single) | 11.9 | -11.8% |
| Fox | (regional) | 8.4 | (regional) | 9.1 | -7.7% |
| Fox | Cowboys-Eagles (85%) | 16.2 | Giants-49ers (70%) | 17.2 | -5.8% |
| NBC | Texans-Bears | 13.7 | Patriots-Jets | 14.5 | -5.5% |
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STAYING QUIET: SI.com's Richard Deitsch reports Fox' NFL producers "made a decision not to mention anything on the air this week" regarding Terry Bradshaw's "chicken" comment last week. Bradshaw "admitted he felt limited on Sunday -- he just wanted to get through the show -- and hopes he can get back to his happy-go-lucky broadcasting ways sooner than later." Bradshaw said, "In today's social media world, things get out there fast. ... I survived what could have been a devastating blow to my life. There is nothing worse for me than being described as a racist. It was a nightmare." Deitsch notes Bradshaw noted he was scared over possibly losing his gig on Fox' NFL studio show, but former Fox Sports Media Group Chair David Hill said that Bradshaw "had nothing to worry about regarding his employment" (SI.com, 11/12).
MIXED BAG FOR FOX: In N.Y., Phil Mushnick writes Fox' Thom Brennaman at the outset of yesterday's Giants-Bengals game had some “good stuff ... debunking that A.J. Green trash-talked the Giants junk." Mushnick: "Anyone who heard the Bengals WR’s WFAN interview knew Green did no such thing” (N.Y. POST, 11/12). Meanwhile, in Tampa, Tom Jones listed “Fox NFL Sunday” as one of "10 underachievers." Jones asked why does the pregame show, which is “loaded” with personalities, “fail so badly?” Jones: “Maybe because those personalities are too busy trying to crack up each other. Other than insider Jay Glazer, this show can be hard to watch." The show "should be way better” (TAMPA BAY TIMES, 11/11).
ROUGHING THE QUARTERBACK: In the fourth quarter of CBS’ broadcast of Broncos-Panthers yesterday, Jim Nantz read a promo for Showtime’s “Inside the NFL” in which his booth partner, Phil Simms, is a co-host. Simms missed the show last week because he was traveling back from broadcasting the Rams-Patriots game from London. He said, “Last week you said, ‘Record ratings, Phil wasn’t there.’ I was there this week and you know what happened with the ratings?” Nantz replied, “They went straight in the tank, huh?” Simms said, “They went through the roof, baby!” (“Broncos-Panthers,” CBS, 11/11).
