NFL Week 8 Overnights: League Up Again Despite MLB Competition

Packers-Rams was the highest-rated NFL window on any network since Week 3GETTY IMAGES

The NFL saw another year-over-year ratings uptick in Week 8 (+2%), fueled by gains for the CBS singleheader and NBC’s “SNF.” But the figure in Week 8 was down 5% from two years ago. Not included in this year’s numbers was a 3.7 overnight for NFL Network’s Eagles-Jaguars telecast yesterday morning from London. The figures in Week 8 last year also were affected by inclement weather in the northeast, leading to no reporting from the Boston, Providence and Hartford-New Haven markets. Fox led the way yesterday with a 15.0 for Packers-Rams in the national window, but that was down 2% from Cowboys-Redskins last year. The 15.0 was the best for any NFL window since Week 3. Fox also saw a 6% decline for its regional window. Meanwhile, CBS drew a 10.3 overnight for its singleheader window, up 13% as Broncos-Chiefs was the highlighted game. Last night, NBC drew a 9.7 overnight for Saints-Vikings up against World Series Game 5 on Fox (12.3 rating). That figure is up 3% from Steelers-Lions last year, which also had World Series competition (Austin Karp, THE DAILY).

Download the NFL Week 8 Overnights

WELL-RECEIVED: NFL Net used a four-man booth for Eagles-Jaguars, and in Philadelphia, Rob Tornoe writes the call of the game was "surprisingly solid." Not only did play-by-man Rich Eisen and analysts Michael Irvin, Steve Mariucci and Kurt Warner "avoid talking over one another, there were several key moments where the broadcast remained silent and allowed the sounds from Wembley Stadium to tell the story." But the broadcast "wasn't mistake-free." Eisen "struggled early on pronouncing" Eagles RB Corey Clement's name and "mistakenly referred" to Eagles RB Josh Adams as Jamal (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 10/29). THE ATHLETIC's Richard Deitsch notes in the two quarters he watched, the four-person group "did a solid job not stepping on each other." Most importantly, the analysts were "willing to stay silent in stretches." There was a "conversational flow to the game and a clear chemistry with the group." Eisen in his first-ever game on play-by-play did an "admirable job as a conversational game-caller," but he did "not ID many defensive players on tackles" (THEATHLETIC.com, 10/29).

DIFFERENT SONG & DANCE: In L.A., Tom Hoffarth writes Fox yesterday "stepped up its game" for World Series Game 5 from Dodger Stadium following its broadcast of Packers-Rams from L.A. Coliseum. The net "looked as if it wanted to flip the script for all those other cliche-laden visuals that others recycle in setting the stage for what they believe conveys L.A." Traffic and freeways "became the framework for a Sunday morning Fox Sports NFL pregame show piece about the L.A.-centric day ahead." Narrated by Pro Football HOFer Eric Dickerson, the montage "explained how the city differentiates its pro sports participants from its winners." The broadcast "didn't resort to a cheap Tinseltown narrative" (L.A. TIMES, 10/29).

PROUD AS A PEACOCK: Packers-Patriots will be played on "SNF" in Week 9, and USA TODAY's Andy Nesbitt wrote it "appears that NBC is going all in to get people pumped for the matchup" between QBs Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady. NBC "got Michael Jordan to do a promo for the game in which he breaks down how you can figure out who's the greatest of all time." Nesbitt: "We're all in now. Well done, NBC" (USATODAY.com, 10/28). Meanwhile, USA TODAY's Nate Davis noted NBC's "pretty spiffy 'Sunday Night Football' field goal 'tracer'" is superior to the net's "still terrible 'Green Zone'" (USATODAY.com, 10/28).