Vikings-Eagles, which was Fox' national late window game, drew a 14.2 overnight ratingGETTY IMAGES
Fox’ national window yesterday led all NFL overnight ratings in Week 5, with the Vikings 23-21 win over the Eagles, featured in 82% of markets, drawing a 14.2 overnight. Another 11% of Fox markets caught the Rams’ 33-31 win over the Seahawks in the same window. However, that window was down 5% from Week 5 last year, when Fox had Packers-Cowboys in the national window. Fox did see a 5% uptick for its early regional coverage yesterday, with that window featuring Packers-Lions and Giants-Panthers. Meanwhile, NBC last night saw a 17% uptick for “SNF.” Cowboys-Texans drew a 12.4 overnight, which is the net’s best Week 5 figure since 49ers-Giants in ’15. The game delivered a primetime win for NBC, which had competition from the Season 9 premiere of AMC’s “The Walking Dead.” Dallas-Ft. Worth led all markets with a 33.3 local rating, followed by Houston at a 32.9. Rounding out the top five were San Antonio (26.6), Austin (22.4) and New Orleans (20.6). CBS yesterday drew a 9.0 overnight for its singleheader window, flat compared to ’17 (Austin Karp, THE DAILY). In Boston, Ben Volin wrote the NFL is "hitting us over the head this fall, making sure everyone understands how good the TV ratings are" (BOSTON GLOBE, 10/7).
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NFL WEEK 5 SUNDAY OVERNIGHTS
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NET
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'18 GAME
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RAT.
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'17 GAME
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RAT.
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% +/-
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CBS
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(single)
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9.0
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(single)
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9.0
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0.0%
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Fox
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(regional)
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9.2
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(regional)
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8.8
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4.5%
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Fox
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Vikings-Eagles (82%)
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14.2
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Packers-Cowboys (98%)
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15.0
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-5.3%
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NBC
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Cowboys-Texans
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12.4
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Chiefs-Texans
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10.6
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17.0%
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NO PERMISSION NEEDED: ESPN aired an interview with Giants WR Odell Beckham Jr. and rapper Lil Wayne on "Sunday NFL Countdown" yesterday, and PRO FOOTBALL TALK's Mike Florio cited a source as saying that ESPN "set up the interview directly with Beckham, without going through the Giants." The interview "happened in New York City on Tuesday, Beckham’s day off," and the Giants "became aware that the interview was happening on Monday." While it is "not uncommon for interviews on radio and TV shows to be arranged directly with players or their representatives," setting up a "major sit-down interview that will create headlines in a not-positive way directly with the player entails some degree of risk for an NFL broadcast partner." If the Giants "become sufficiently unhappy with ESPN," the team may be "less cooperative when it comes to interviews and access that entail team involvement, especially in connection with 'Monday Night Football'" (PROFOOTBALLTALK.com, 10/8).
KEEP IT COMMERCIAL: In N.Y., Bob Raissman wrote it is "reasonable to question how thrilled" CBS execs were with Tony Romo last Sunday when he "complained, albeit in Romoesque comedic fashion, about the glut of commercials on the telecast." If a "'lesser' voice had taken issue with the network’s bread and butter he/she would have likely heard about it from upstairs." If he has not already, Romo "should be advised not to bite the hand that feeds CBS" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 10/7).
