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:
CBS Thanksgiving Day rating up 5% w/ avg MM RTG/SH of 14.4/34 vs 2015's 13.7/32 for comparable game Window. (12:45-3:45PM,ET)
— CBS Sports PR (@CBSSportsGang) November 25, 2016
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.
NBC’s @Steelers–@Colts on Thanksgiving night posts 10.8/22 overnight (not including digital) – as NBC easily wins night in primetime
— NBC Sports PR (@NBCSportsPR) November 25, 2016
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:
Yesterday's @Redskins–@dallascowboys showdown averaged 35.1 mil viewers, now the most-watched regular-season NFL game in @FOXSports history!
— FOX Sports PR (@FOXSportsPR) November 25, 2016
That is huge and safe to say that the NFL’s 2016 ratings slump is now a thing of the past.
