CBS led all Thanksgiving weekend NFL telecasts with a 17.4 overnight rating for yesterday’s national window, which had Broncos-Chiefs in 86% of markets. That figure is up 14% from a 15.3 overnight for Steelers-Ravens in Week 13 last season. The net’s regional window yesterday earned a 12.0 overnight, up 18% from last year and marks CBS’ best regional window since Week 12 of the ’11 season. CBS also earned a 14.8 overnight for the Raiders-Cowboys game on Thanksgiving, up 2% from Fox’ Redskins-Cowboys game in the late Thanksgiving window last season. Meanwhile, Fox earned a 14.1 overnight for Packers-Lions on Thanksgiving, down 7% from CBS’ Texans-Lions last year. Fox also earned a 10.8 overnight for yesterday’s singleheader, down 20% from Week 13 last year. NBC had a mixed bag for its NFL coverage in Week 13. The primetime Steelers-Ravens matchup on Thanksgiving earned an 11.8 overnight, up 3% from the net’s Patriots-Jets game last year. NBC also earned a 12.1 overnight for yesterday’s Giants-Redskins “SNF” matchup, down 10% from Eagles-Cowboys in ’12 (Austin Karp, Assistant Managing Editor).
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NFL WEEK 13 OVERNIGHT RATINGS
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NET
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'13 GAME
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RAT.
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'12 NET
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'12 GAME
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RAT.
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% +/-
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Fox (Thanksgiving)
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Packers-Lions
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14.1
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CBS
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Texans-Lions
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15.2
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-7.2%
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CBS (Thanksgiving)
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Raiders-Cowboys
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14.8
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Fox
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Redskins-Cowboys
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14.5
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2.1%
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NBC (Thanksgiving)
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Steelers-Ravens
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11.8
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NBC
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Patriots-Jets
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11.5
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2.6%
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Fox
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(single)
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10.8
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Fox
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(single)
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13.5
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-20.0%
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CBS
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(regional)
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12.0
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CBS
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(regional)
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10.2
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17.6%
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CBS
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Broncos-Chiefs (86%)
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17.4
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CBS
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Steelers-Ravens (93%)
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15.3
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13.7%
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NBC
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Giants-Redskins
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12.1
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NBC
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Eagles-Cowboys
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13.5
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-10.4%
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BEST IN THE BIZ: In Baltimore, David Zurawik wrote "no one does the NFL" like NBC. The net carried Steelers-Ravens on Thanksgiving, and from the "opening aerial shots making even old Baltimore look all glittery and glam, to Bob Costas welcoming tens of millions of viewers to M&T Bank Stadium, NBC made the ... game seem like the only place in the world to be Thursday night." After "weeks of CBS Sports, what a pleasure it was to be in the skilled veteran hands" of "SNF" Exec Producer Fred Gaudelli, NBC Sports Dir Drew Esocoff, play-by-play announcer Al Michaels and analyst Cris Collinsworth (
BALTIMORESUN.com, 11/28). Meanwhile, in N.Y., Phil Mushnick wrote it is "tough listening to a wise old vowel owl" such as Michaels "parrot a bunch of new-age, silly stats every week." Thursday, after the Ravens took the lead against the Steelers, Michaels was "eager to inform us that, 'In this series, the team that scores first is 27-8.'” Mushnick: "What does that mean? What’s it worth? How does that measure up to other series? What does it have to do with this game?" (
N.Y. POST, 12/1).
GREAT SCOTT! The AP's Dennis Waszak Jr. wrote CBSSN analyst Bart Scott has made a "seamless transition from the football field to the TV studio" on the net's "That Other Pregame Show." Scott said, "I love informing people and try to give it to them without being too technical. ... It's almost like being a teacher because you're making the viewer a smarter football fan." He added, "I'm honest and you might not agree with what I say, and if you prove me wrong, I'm man enough to say that I'm wrong." CBSSN's Adam Schein, who also appears on the show, said, "Some people don't realize how tough it is to be a successful analyst and have that translate into great television. Well, Bart gets it. He works incredibly hard, studies the game, he talks to people. He's not afraid and he has incredibly strong opinions. It's amazing, and frankly a joy, to see where he is as opposed to Week 1" (AP, 11/30).
PLAYING IT STRAIGHT: In Fresno, David White wrote just because ESPN analyst Trent Dilfer "calls it as he sees it, that doesn't mean he's calling anyone out." Dilfer "likes to say he criticizes plays, not players," and the "fact he is critical at all is what's helped him land a prominent seat on multiple NFL platforms" for ESPN. Some NFL analysts "keep their on-air jobs because they were oh-so-good as players." The ones like Dilfer "stay on because they are oh-so-smart, and honest, too." Dilfer's bosses "obviously like what they've heard the past five years, as well they should." White: "Let the Warren Sapps of the network world use their bully pulpit to call someone a clown. At least Dilfer will bust out the chalk and put X's and O's to the clown-ship and offer measures for improvement" (FRESNO BEE, 12/1).
PASSING ON A FORD: The GLOBE & MAIL's Jeff Blair notes Fox during yesterday's Falcons-Bills game in Toronto only mentioned Mayor Rob Ford "in passing and did so without using his name." Play-by-play announcer Dick Stockton coming out of a commercial said, “There’s Toronto’s city hall, and there’s some interesting things going on there" (GLOBE & MAIL, 12/2).
