Welcome to AA’s NFL local ratings rankings. Every week, we’ll take a look at which teams have the highest TV ratings in their local markets, presented 1-32 and with commentary to help provide context, enjoy.
Byes: San Francisco, NY Giants
1. New Orleans (NBC) – 50.1
The highest rating for any local market so far this season now belongs, unsurprisingly, to the Big Easy. One in every two televisions in the market was tuned into a Saints-Packers game during the World Series. Even though New Orleans isn’t a baseball town, this is still mighty impressive.
2. Green Bay (Milwaukee market) (NBC) – 45.0
The Saints’ competitors Sunday night, the Green Bay Packers, eeked out the #2 slot and also drew a season high in their main market. They’ve now set two consecutive weeks of season highs in Milwaukee.
3. Denver (CBS/NFL Net) – 44.9
We often forget about the Thursday night game by the time we do this, but Denver pulled in pretty huge numbers for last week’s game against San Diego, the second-highest rated game in the market this season.
4. Pittsburgh (CBS) – 41.3
It took a late afternoon, high-scoring showdown with Andrew Luck to draw, by far, the highest rating of the season in the Steel City. The previous high was their Week 3, Sunday night victory over Carolina, which drew a 38.9.
5. Buffalo (CBS) – 40.7
Buffalo not only drew its highest ratings of the season (previously a 37.8 in Week 3) but its highest ratings for a Bills game in seven years. Imagine a playoff game in Western New York…
6. Indianapolis (CBS) – 39.1
This rating is just a tenth of a point shy of the Colts’ season high, for their Week 1 loss to Peyton Manning and the Broncos.
7. Seattle (CBS) – 39.0
8. Dallas (ESPN) – 36.6
The Cowboys were also just a tenth of a point shy of their previous season high, set last week against the Giants.
9. Cleveland (CBS) – 36.3
10. Baltimore (CBS) – 34.4
This was the highest-rated game in Baltimore since the tension-filled (for off-the-field reasons) Week 2 Thursday night game against Pittsburgh.
t11. New England (Fox) – 34.3
t11. Kansas City (CBS) – 34.3
13. Cincinnati (CBS) – 32.5
14. San Diego (CBS/NFL Net) – 31.8
Highest ratings since Week 1 in San Diego for the Thursday night game. Say what you will about it, but a competitive game gets the local markets tuning in.
15. Philadelphia (Fox) – 31.2
16. Washington (ESPN) – 30.4
To give you an idea of how powerful a Cowboys game is in Washington, the previous high for this season was a measly 25.0. Monday night’s victory over Dallas blew away the previous high.
17. Minnesota (Minneapolis-St. Paul market) (Fox) – 29.4
We have our first season low of the week coming from the mediocre Vikings.
18. Detroit (Fox) – 29.0
The 9:30 a.m. local kickoff from Wembley Stadium in London, surprisingly, drew the highest ratings for a game in Detroit since the Lions’ Week 1 Monday night game against the Giants.
19. Arizona (Phoenix market) (Fox) – 28.3
This will likely be broken against the Cowboys next week, but the late game against former rival Philadelphia drew the highest local rating for the Cardinals this season.
t20. Carolina (Charlotte market) (CBS) – 22.6
t20. Chicago (Fox) – 22.6
People are getting tired of the Bears, as this was by far the lowest rating in the Windy City this season.
22. Houston (Fox) – 22.4
Another season low, after a four-week stretch of pretty large audiences watching the Texans.
23. Jacksonville (CBS) – 21.0
24. Tennessee (Nashville market) (Fox) – 18.0
Another market starting to tune out of this season, as this was by far the season low for a Titans game.
25. St. Louis (Fox) – 16.4
26. Tampa Bay (Fox) – 16.1
27. Atlanta (Fox) – 15.1
The Wembley game had the opposite affect in the ATL, where the Falcons hit their lowest rating of 2014.
28. Miami (CBS) – 14.2
Another season low, and for a market that doesn’t really draw all that well to begin with.
29. Oakland (San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose market) (CBS) – 12.4
Pretty sure this is the first time this season the Raiders didn’t finish last!
30. NY Jets (CBS) – 12.2
Because the Jets are just that bad right now.
Rankings Through Week 8
1. New Orleans – 44.6
2. Green Bay (Milwaukee market) – 42.8
3. Denver – 41.6
4. Seattle – 39.9
5. Kansas City – 36.8
6. Pittsburgh – 36.5
7. Buffalo – 35.8
8. Indianapolis – 35.5
9. New England (Boston market) – 32.5
10. Dallas – 31.8
11. Cleveland – 31.6
12. Minnesota (Minneapolis-St. Paul market) – 31.4
13. Baltimore – 31.2
14. Cincinnati – 31.0
t15. Philadelphia – 30.6
t15. San Diego – 30.6
17. Chicago – 28.9
18. Houston – 26.4
19. Arizona (Phoenix market) – 25.9
20. Detroit – 25.4
21. Carolina (Charlotte market) – 24.6
22. San Francisco (SF-OAK-SJ market) – 23.8
23. Washington – 23.9
24. Tennessee (Nashville market) – 21.9
25. Jacksonville – 21.1
26. Atlanta – 19.5
27. Tampa Bay – 16.7
28. Miami – 16.1
29. NY Giants – 15.5
30. St. Louis – 15.3
31. NY Jets – 12.4
32. Oakland (SF-OAK-SJ market) – 10.8
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