CBS got a Dallas Cowboys game in Week 11, and it paid off for the network.
With most of the country getting Dallas’ blowout win over Minnesota, the late half of the CBS doubleheader drew 27.546 million viewers. That’s a season-high for CBS, and the second-highest NFL audience of the season behind last week’s Cowboys-Packers game on Fox. Surprisingly, it’s not just down from last week’s season-high, but also last year’s Week 11 national game, a Cowboys-Chiefs matchup on Fox that drew 28.06 million viewers.
The early half of the doubleheader on CBS, a three-game slate highlighted by Jets-Patriots, averaged 15.257 million viewers. That’s down from the early half of last week’s Fox doubleheader (Saints-Steelers, Vikings-Bills, etc, 16.190 million) and last year’s early half on Fox (Packers-Vikings, etc, 17.28 million).
Pivoting to earlier in the week, Titans-Packers on Thursday Night Football averaged 10.320 million viewers on Prime Video and local networks, up from last week (Falcons-Panthers 6.802 million) and down from last year on Fox and NFL Network (Patriots-Falcons, 13.52 million).
Fox’s single game window, a six-game mystery box slate, averaged 15.556 million viewers. That’s up from last week’s CBS singleheader (Jaguars-Chiefs, etc, 14.463 million) and up from last year’s on CBS (five games, 11.17 million).
In primetime, NBC averaged 17.886 million viewers for Chiefs-Chargers, which was flexed into the window two weeks ago. That’s up from last week (Chargers-49ers, 15.843 million) and last year (Steelers-Chargers, 14.55 million).
ESPN’s Monday Night Football broadcast from Mexico City between the 49ers and Cardinals averaged 11.166 million viewers. That’s down from last week (Commanders-Eagles, 12.769 million) and last year (Giants-Bucs, 11.92 million).
This week, we’ve got Thanksgiving, so be prepared for some monster viewership on Thursday. Raiders-Cowboys last year was a regular season-high, and I’d expect the same from Giants-Cowboys this year. Patriots-Vikings on Thanksgiving Night also should do well, as should the Sunday Night Football matchup between the Packers and Eagles.
[Data via ShowBuzz Daily, Sports Media Watch]
