While the NFL's overnight rating across seven game windows in Week 16 was up 6%, ESPN's Broncos-Raiders on Christmas Eve marked a new low for "MNF." Broncos-Raiders, which may have been the final game from Oakland and also came during the traditional final week for fantasy football, is 5% below the previous record-low rating (5.7). That came during Falcons-Saints in Week 3 in '16, which aired up against the first Donald Trump-Hillary Clinton presidential debate. Last season, the Week 16 Eagles-Raiders "MNF" aired on Christmas Day and earned a 6.7 overnight. The overall Week 16 uptick for the NFL also came despite having an extra game on NBC last year (that window aired exclusively on NFL Network this year) (Austin Karp, THE DAILY).
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NFL WEEK 16 OVERNIGHT RATINGS
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NET
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'18 GAME
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RAT.
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'17 NET
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'17 GAME
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RAT.
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NFL Net
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Redskins-Titans (Sat., 4:30pm ET)
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4.4
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NFL Net
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Colts-Ravens (Sat., 4:30pm ET)
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3.6
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NFL Net
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Ravens-Chargers (Sat., 8:30pm ET)
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5.6
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NBC
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Packers-Vikings (Sat., 8:30pm ET)^
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9.0
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Fox
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(singleheader)
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10.1
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CBS
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(single)
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9.6
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CBS
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(regional)
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10.8
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Fox
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(regional)
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9.1
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CBS
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Steelers-Saints (98%)
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15.3
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Fox
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Seahawks-Cowboys (87%)
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13.5
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NBC
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Chiefs-Seahawks
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12.6
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NBC/NFL Net
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Steelers-Texans (Mon., 4:30pm ET)**
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8.9
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ESPN
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Broncos-Raiders*
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5.4
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ESPN
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Eagles-Raiders^^
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6.7
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NOTES: * = Aired on Christmas Eve. ^ = Aired on a Saturday night to avoid Christmas Eve.
^^ = Aired in primetime on Christmas Day. ** = Aired Monday, but part of "TNF" package
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WIN AND IN: In Nashville, Erik Bacharach noted with Colts-Titans "amounting to a de facto playoff game in the regular season finale, the NFL has flexed the game" to primetime on NBC. If the AFC South-leading Texans beat the Jaguars earlier in the day, the Titans and Colts will be playing for the final AFC Wild Card spot, but should the Texans lose, the Colts-Titans winner "will claim the division crown" (TENNESSEAN.com, 12/23). AWFUL ANNOUNCING's Matt Clapp wrote while Colts-Titans "may not have big national appeal, this game was likely an easy choice for the NFL and NBC because it’s a win-and-in game." Meanwhile, Sunday's late afternoon games are "full of playoff/seeding implications." Having the "meaningful games at the same time will also force teams to take the games seriously, rather than possibly sitting starters" (AWFULANNOUNCING.com, 12/23).
EYE FOR TALENT: In Buffalo, Alan Pergament wrote he "really enjoyed" the CBS team of Greg Gumbel, Trent Green and Bruce Arians calling Bills-Patriots on Sunday. The "ageless Gumbel still has a terrific voice, and Green and Arians complement each other well." The "combination of having a former Pro Bowl quarterback (Green) and former coach (Arians) assess the performance of Bills rookie quarterback Josh Allen was a bonus and provided some interesting insights." Green "seems energized by working with another analyst to bounce things off" (BUFFALONEWS.com, 12/24).
