ReverendMaynard
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NFL ratings were down for the opener/Sunday...
Should NFL Sweat Lower Ratings For Season Debut And 'Sunday Night Football'?
Should NFL Sweat Lower Ratings For Season Debut And 'Sunday Night Football'?
Keep it up everyone. It's having an affect!Last week’s Thursday night (Sept. 8) NFL opener and Super Bowl rematch between the Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers drew in 25.2 million viewers, the fourth consecutive year the NFL has surpassed 25 million viewers on opening day (for comparison, The Walking Dead averages around 14 million live viewers as TV’s most-watched show). However, that total marks an 8% ratings decline compared to 2015 and a 6% drop from 2014. The lower numbers are a bit of a surprise given that Denver’s 21-20 victory over the Panthers was actually more entertaining than their lopsided Super Bowl matchup. However, the retirement of Peyton Manning this offseason may have lost some of the league’s more casual fans.
On Sunday afternoon, CBS scored a 10.2 overnight rating for its NFL offerings, a 13% drop from FOX’s numbers (11.7) last year and a 9% drop from 2014 on CBS (11.2). This also marked the lowest overnight season-opening rating in seven years.
Things were equally as good news-bad news for the Sunday Night Football matchup between the New England Patriots and Arizona Cardinals last night. New England’s 23-21 win over the Cardinals attracted 20.65 million total viewers, a win on cable any way you slice it. However, it marked a steep 18% decline in the advertiser-friendly 18-49 demographic compared to last year’s September 13 opener. The matchup also drew in 16% less eyeballs than the 2014 SNF opener.