DETROIT, MI – NOVEMBER 24: Matt Prater #5 of the Detroit Lions celebrates with his teammates after kicking the game winning field goal during the annual Thanksgiving day game against the Minnesota Vikings at Ford Field on November 24, 2016 in Detroit, Michigan. Detroit defeated Minnesota 16-13. (Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images)
2016By Ken Fang on

The ratings recovery for the NFL is continuing. The Thanksgiving Day windows saw increases for CBS and Fox. However a blowout in the primetime game on NBC between Pittsburgh and Indianapolis depressed the numbers.

On CBS for Minnesota at Detroit which ended in a last-second winning field goal for the Lions, the Tiffany Network got good overnights numbers in the early window which aired on Fox last year:

On Fox, the NFC East rivalry between Washington and Dallas performed well. The game averaged a 15.6. That’s up 2% from the 15.3 overnight rating for Carolina-Dallas which aired on CBS last year.

But on NBC, Pittsburgh-Indy could not match the overnight rating from last year which featured Chicago at Green Bay and the Brett Favre jersey retirement ceremony.

Last year’s Bears-Packers game on NBC received a 14.6 overnight. There were a couple of factors for this year’s Thanksgiving game on NBC. Andrew Luck did not play for the Colts due to a concussion and Indianapolis could not muster a decent fight against the Steelers.

So it was a mixed bag for the NFL on Thanksgiving, but the traditional afternoon windows on CBS and Fox brought good numbers and there should be strong viewership figures for both Minnesota-Detroit and Washington-Dallas when the final figures come out.

We’ll see if the Sunday numbers can continue the upward ratings momentum for the NFL as the Presidential election looks farther in the league’s rear view window.

UPDATE: Fox says Washington-Dallas had a monster viewership:

That is huge and safe to say that the NFL’s 2016 ratings slump is now a thing of the past.

About Ken Fang

Ken has been covering the sports media in earnest at his own site, Fang's Bites since May 2007 and at Awful Announcing since March 2013.

He provides a unique perspective having been an award-winning radio news reporter in Providence and having worked in local television.

Fang celebrates the four Boston Red Sox World Championships in the 21st Century, but continues to be a long-suffering Cleveland Browns fan.

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