The Saints retained the No. 1 spot for NFL preseason TV ratings this year, averaging a 31.3 local rating in their home market.
While the Saints’ average rating has declined for four consecutive years, the team has been atop the rankings annually since at least '10. Closing the gap on the Saints this year were the Seahawks and Packers. The Seahawks averaged a 28.7 local rating in Seattle on WVUE-Fox, marking the club’s fourth consecutive year-over-year improvement. Two NBC affiliates saw their best ratings in the six years -- the Packers averaged a 25.9 on WTMJ-NBC in Milwaukee and the Buccaneers averaged an 11.4 on WFLA-NBC in Tampa-St. Petersburg. Both of those rights deals run through the '17 season. Meanwhile, the Steelers averaged a 16.2 on KDKA-CBS in Pittsburgh, the club’s fifth straight decline. For the third year in a row, the Falcons, Dolphins, Giants, Jets and Raiders were the teams with the lowest preseason ratings. Overall, the league’s local broadcasts averaged a 14.4 rating, relatively flat compared to each of the previous two seasons (14.5 in '14 and 14.4 in '13).
|
NFL TEAMS' LOCAL PRESEASON GAME RATINGS
|
|
RANK
|
TEAM |
'15 AFFILIATE |
'15
|
'14
|
'13
|
'12
|
|
1
|
Saints |
WVUE-Fox |
31.3
|
37.8
|
38.6
|
38.8
|
|
2
|
Seahawks* |
KCPQ-Fox |
28.7
|
24.1
|
22.3
|
13.1
|
|
3
|
Packers |
WTMJ-NBC |
25.9
|
19.2
|
16.4
|
25.0
|
|
4
|
Bills |
WKBW-ABC |
23.5
|
16.6
|
15.2
|
13.8
|
|
5
|
Browns |
WEWS-ABC |
20.5
|
21.9
|
17.1
|
17.2
|
|
6
|
Broncos |
KTVD-MyNetworkTV |
20.0
|
22.9
|
18.6
|
18.7
|
|
7
|
Texans |
KTRK-ABC |
18.8
|
15.7
|
17.5
|
13.7
|
|
8
|
Ravens |
WBAL-NBC |
16.8
|
17.6
|
20.7
|
14.3
|
|
9t
|
Jaguars |
WJXT-Ind. |
16.6
|
16.3
|
12.9
|
14.2
|
|
9t
|
Chiefs |
KCTV-CBS |
16.6
|
20.7
|
22.3
|
18.3
|
|
9t
|
Vikings |
KMSP-Fox |
16.6
|
17.4
|
16.4
|
13.3
|
|
12
|
Steelers |
KDKA-CBS |
16.2
|
20.1
|
23.7
|
27.1
|
|
13
|
Eagles |
WCAU-NBC |
16.0
|
14.2
|
13.3
|
13.9
|
|
14
|
Bengals |
WKRC-CBS |
15.5
|
17.7
|
15.5
|
12.9
|
|
15
|
Titans |
WKRN-ABC |
15.0
|
15.6
|
16.9
|
15.4
|
|
16
|
Patriots |
WBZ-CBS |
14.6
|
14.7
|
14.8
|
12.5
|
|
17
|
Colts |
WXIN-Fox |
14.4
|
13.5
|
15.0
|
19.8
|
|
18
|
Cowboys |
KTVT-CBS |
13.5
|
12.2
|
9.6
|
14.3
|
|
19
|
Chargers |
KFMB-CBS |
12.2
|
16.0
|
12.9
|
12.3
|
|
20
|
Bears |
WFLD-Fox |
11.9
|
13.6
|
13.7
|
11.8
|
|
21
|
Lions |
WDIV-NBC |
11.5
|
11.7
|
11.5
|
10.4
|
|
22t
|
Panthers |
WCCB-CW |
11.4
|
12.6
|
14.5
|
12.5
|
|
22t
|
Buccaneers |
WFLA-NBC |
11.4
|
9.0
|
9.0
|
7.2
|
|
24
|
Cardinals |
KNXV-ABC |
11.0
|
12.2
|
9.3
|
9.1
|
|
25
|
49ers |
KPIX-CBS |
9.8
|
10.6
|
10.8
|
8.2
|
|
26
|
Rams |
KTVI-Fox |
9.4
|
9.0
|
9.4
|
8.7
|
|
27
|
Redskins |
WRC-NBC |
8.8
|
9.3
|
11.6
|
9.7
|
|
28
|
Dolphins |
WFOR-CBS |
8.4
|
7.0
|
7.8
|
7.6
|
|
29
|
Falcons |
WUPA-CW |
7.0
|
6.6
|
8.5
|
6.8
|
|
30t
|
Giants |
WNBC-NBC |
4.6
|
5.2
|
6.1
|
5.4
|
|
30t
|
Raiders |
KTVU-Fox |
4.6
|
4.0
|
2.6
|
5.5
|
|
32
|
Jets |
WCBS-CBS |
4.5
|
4.7
|
4.9
|
6.2
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
NOTE: ESPN aired 18 games during the time period tracked, and the majority of those broadcasts were simulcast by the local rights holder for each club. For those simulcast games, the local ratings for each broadcaster were combined for tabulation here.
* Seattle's rating includes only three preseason games. Ratings for Week 3 were not reported due to severe weather in the Seattle market.
