Tag: ratings

Sep 5, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs starting quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) and wide receiver Xavier Worthy (1) talk with reporter Melissa Stark after defeating the Baltimore Ravens at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

NFL sets record for Week 1 viewership

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The NFL set a Week 1 viewership record with 21.0 million average viewers on television and digital platforms, NFL Media reported Wednesday.

That represents a 12 percent increase over the 2023 opening week.

Additionally, total viewership was the highest since 2019, with 123 million people seeing at least part of one game over the course of opening week from Thursday through Sunday.

“A great start with the viewership. It was great to be back and a lot to be excited about,” said Hans Schroeder, the executive vice president of NFL Media.

Not surprisingly, the most-watched game of Week 1 was Thursday night’s season-opening rematch of last season’s AFC title game. The Kansas City Chiefs’ 27-20 victory over the Baltimore Ravens averaged 29.2 million on TV and digital.

The Sunday night standalone game on NBC — a 26-20 overtime win by the Detroit Lions over the Los Angeles Rams — averaged 3 percent more viewers than last year with 22.7 million.

An average of 23.9 million viewers watched the premiere of Tom Brady in the booth for Fox Sports, with the Dallas Cowboys taking care of the Cleveland Browns 33-17. That was the best Week 1 number for Fox since 2020.

–Field Level Media

Sep 5, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) greets fans as he leaves the field after the win over the Baltimore Ravens at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Ravens-Chiefs scores record kickoff ratings for NBC

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Thursday night’s thriller between the Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs drew a record number of viewers for an NFL kickoff game.

According to NBC Sports, the Chiefs’ 27-20 victory had an average audience of 28.9 million across NBC and Peacock, surpassing the 27.6 million who watched the New England Patriots defeat the Pittsburgh Steelers in the network’s 2015 opener.

The numbers were 5 percent higher than last season’s opener when the Detroit Lions beat the Chiefs, 21-20.

The Ravens-Chiefs audience, which no doubt included a number of Taylor Swift fans, peaked at 33 million viewers in the second quarter.

The start of Thursday’s game at Arrowhead Stadium was delayed by 20 minutes due to the weather, but it did not appear to affect the numbers.

Kansas City and Baltimore were the top two markets for the game, which the Ravens lost by a toe when tight end Isaiah Likely was ruled out of bounds and his apparent touchdown catch on the final play was overturned.

–Field Level Media

Sep 5, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs starting quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) and wide receiver Xavier Worthy (1) talk with reporter Melissa Stark after defeating the Baltimore Ravens at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Chiefs-Ravens opener draws top Thursday opener rating

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The dramatic first game of the NFL season between the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens drew record viewership numbers for a Thursday opener.

An average of 28.9 million people watched the game, which the host Chiefs won 27-20 when an apparent last-second Ravens touchdown was overturned on a video review.

The NFL first started Thursday openers in 2002. The previous high rating for one of those contests was 27.6 million in 2015, when the New England Patriots opposed the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Last year’s Thursday opener, in which the Detroit Lions upset the Chiefs, was seen by 27.5 million.

The total from the Chiefs-Ravens game included 24.3 million watching on NBC plus 4.6 million viewers on Peacock plus NFL and NBC streaming options.

Viewership reached its high point in the second quarter at 33 million, around 9:30-9:45 p.m. ET. The game didn’t end until nearly midnight ET due in part to a pregame weather delay.

According to NBC, among the 44 markets whose ratings were available, the biggest markets for the game were Kansas City (43.4 rating, 80 share), Baltimore (24.5, 60), Denver (18.0, 50), St. Louis (17.0, 46) and Norfolk, Va. (16.9, 49). The rating is the percent of all televisions in the market watching, while the share is the percent of television in use at the time that were watching.

–Field Level Media

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell addresses the crowd with Eminem and the Detroit Lions' Jared Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown and Aidan Hutchinson and Hall of Famers Calvin Johnson and Barry Sanders on the stage before Round 1 of the NFL draft on April 25, 2024 in Detroit.

NFL Draft ratings dip after strong first round

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After drawing around 12 million viewers on ESPN, ABC and NFL Network for the first round on Thursday, the NFL draft saw its worst ratings for the second and third round on Friday since 2012.

Thursday’s viewership was up 6 percent from last year and was the highest it’s been since 12.5 million watched in 2021. ESPN led the way this year with 5.6 million, followed by ABC (4.5 million) and NFL Network (1.6 million).

When the 2020 draft was remote during the pandemic, a record 15.3 million viewers tuned in for the first round.

Only 5.1 million tuned in on Friday, down 8 percent from last year’s 5.5 million viewers.

Unlike NFL Network and ABC, which carried Day 2 of the draft in full, ESPN opted to carry Game 3 of the Milwaukee Bucks-Indiana Pacers first-round series on Friday, with ESPN2 broadcasting the draft.

–Field Level Media

Feb 11, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) celebrates with girlfriend Taylor Swift after defeating the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Super Bowl LVIII most-watched TV show in U.S. history

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The Kansas City Chiefs’ overtime victory over the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII on Sunday was the most-watched television program in U.S. history, according to preliminary data released by Nielsen and CBS on Monday.

According to CBS, which broadcast the game, the Super Bowl averaged 123.4 million viewers across all platforms, breaking the mark of 115.1 million set during last year’s Super Bowl between the Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles.

CBS added that 202.4 million viewers watched at least part of the game, breaking the record of 184 million (also set last Super Bowl).

Though Nielsen’s final data will be released Tuesday, Monday’s figures made it clear the game was smash hit for CBS and the NFL. The 120 million viewers who watched the game on CBS was a single-network record. The Paramount+ audience made it the most-streamed Super Bowl, as well, CBS claimed.

The total of 123.4 million also includes viewers of simulcasts on Nickelodeon, Univision, Paramount+, NFL+ and other NFL digital properties.

While the game going to overtime played a role in audience retention, several storylines had much of the country buzzing long before kickoff.

The win was the Chiefs’ third in five seasons, placing quarterback Patrick Mahomes and coach Andy Reid among rare NFL royalty. Mahomes joined Tom Brady and Joe Montana as the only players with at least three Super Bowl MVPs, and Reid became the fifth coach with at least three Super Bowl wins as a head coach.

Las Vegas hosted the Super Bowl for the first time, with Usher performing at halftime. And the game marked the season’s culmination of the Taylor Swift-NFL juggernaut, as the superstar was in attendance to watch her boyfriend, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, catch nine passes for 93 yards for his third Super Bowl win.

Up next is Super Bowl LIX, scheduled for Feb. 9, 2025, at the Superdome in New Orleans. Fox will broadcast that game.

–Field Level Media

Jan 21, 2024; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) greets Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) following the 2024 AFC divisional round game at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Divisional games average record 40 million viewers

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The NFL’s divisional round drew an average of 40 million viewers, highlighted by the Kansas City Chiefs-Buffalo Bills matchup on CBS that was the most watched divisional or wild-card game on record at 50.4 million.

The average viewership for the divisional round was the highest since 1988 and increased by 7 percent over last year.

Among the 126.7 million total viewers last weekend, 37.5 million tuned in to see the Green Bay Packers play the San Francisco 49ers on Fox, making it the most-watched NFL playoff game ever on a Saturday.

The Chiefs travel to face the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday in the AFC Championship Game on CBS, followed by the Detroit Lions visiting the 49ers in the NFC Championship Game on Fox.

–Field Level Media

Dec 21, 2023; Inglewood, California, USA; Thursday Night Football Amazon Prime play-by-play announcer Al Michaels during the game between the Los Angeles Rams and the New Orleans Saints at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

NFL ratings soar 24 percent for Amazon’s ‘TNF’ slate

Posted on | by Field Level Media

In its second season as the exclusive streaming platform for the NFL’s “Thursday Night Football” broadcasts, Amazon saw a 24 percent gain in viewership in 2023 over its first season.

In 2022, Amazon drew an average of 9.58 million viewers for “TNF,” but that number elevated significantly to 11.86 million viewers this season.

In comparison, Fox and the NFL Network drew 16.2 million viewers for Thursday night games in 2021. CBS, NBC and Fox on Sundays, along with ESPN/ABC on Mondays, draw more than 20 million viewers weekly.

Though streaming is thought to be more popular with younger people, Amazon’s overall audience – a 14 percent increase from 2022 — grew at a higher rate than the 18-34 demographic for “TNF.”

–Field Level Media

Sep 11, 2023; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) runs on to the field at MetLife Stadium before the game against the Buffalo Bills. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Jets-Bills sets “Monday Night Football” viewership mark

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The “Monday Night Football” game between the visiting Buffalo Bills and New York Jets drew more than 22.6 million viewers, the most since ESPN began airing the NFL broadcast in 2006.

The game featured the much-anticipated Jets debut of quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who exited after tearing his left Achilles tendon on his fourth snap.

Despite Rodgers’ early departure, the Jets beat the Bills 22-16 in overtime on Xavier Gipson’s 65-yard punt return for a touchdown. The Jets announced on Tuesday that Rodgers would miss the rest of the season.

The game, which aired on ESPN, ABC, ESPN2, ESPN+, and ESPN Deportes, broke the network’s record that was set in 2009, when the Green Bay Packers faced their former quarterback Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings. That game drew 21.8 million viewers.

The viewership total for this year’s season opener of “Monday Night Football” was up 14 percent from last year’s opener (Denver Broncos vs. Seattle Seahawks) that drew a then-record 19.8 million viewers for a Week 1 Monday night contest.

The breakdown for the Monday viewership included 11.7 million watching on ABC, 9.4 million on ESPN and 1.52 million on ESPN2, which aired the “ManningCast” alternate feed featuring Peyton Manning and Eli Manning.

Sports Business Journal noted that the total MNF viewership this week topped the most recent totals for the College Football Playoff final, the men’s NCAA Tournament final, the Kentucky Derby, the Oscars and the Grammy Awards.

–Field Level Media

From left, Philadelphia Eagles fans Jennifer Sult, Wanda Paris and Stephanie Napier hug in celebration of a touchdown during a watch party for the Eagles vs. Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl LVII game at Grotto Pizza in Wilmington, Sunday, Feb. 12, 2023. P4wil Super Bowl 021223

Super Bowl LVII was most-watched U.S. telecast ever

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The Kansas City Chiefs’ victory over the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII was the most-watched U.S.-based telecast of all time, according to revised Nielsen ratings released Tuesday.

The Chiefs’ 38-35 win on Feb. 12 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., drew an average of 115.1 million viewers across all platforms — nearly 2 million more than Nielsen’s previous announcement in February.

The updated numbers surpass the previous record of 114.4 million viewers for the New England Patriots’ win over the Seattle Seahawks at Super Bowl XLIX on Feb. 1, 2015.

Tuesday’s change was “the result of a thorough review by Nielsen that revealed irregularities in the encoding that enables Nielsen’s measurement of TV viewing as well as in the measurement of out-of-home viewing,” Fox Sports said in a statement.

Nielsen’s numbers include viewers who either watched Super Bowl LVII on the Fox or Fox Deportes TV networks or streamed the game on Fox digital properties or NFL+.

The “irregularities” were initially identified by the NFL, which informed Nielsen that the league-owned NFL Network might be getting credit for viewers who actually watched the game on one of the Fox platforms.

–Field Level Media

Jan 22, 2023; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle (85) celebrates after a play during the fourth quarter of a NFC divisional round game against the Dallas Cowboys at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Cowboys-49ers draws near-record ratings for FOX

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Sunday’s playoff game between the San Francisco 49ers and visiting Dallas Cowboys on FOX drew 45.7 million viewers, the second-most watched NFL divisional playoff game on record.

The Cowboys also were involved in the No. 1 viewed divisional playoff game against the Green Bay Packers in January 2017. That game, a 34-31 win for the Packers, drew 48.5 million viewers.

The 49ers-Cowboys game was the most-watched telecast of any kind since last year’s Super Bowl, per FOX’s release.

By comparison, FOX’s telecast of the Philadelphia Eagles-New York Giants game on Saturday drew 28.6 million viewers.

–Field Level Media