NFL TV Ratings

21C · 10-24-2006, 12:00 AM

Specifically the SNF and MNF ratings. I was reading somewhere that the ESPN's MNF telecasts this year had the highest cable TV ratings - but I don't know if that was just for this year or ever.

It started me thinking about how this year's ratings for ESPN compared to previous years' ratings for MNF on ABC and how NBC's ratings for SNF have been compared to ESPN's in the past.

I think I saw that last week's MNF had around 12 million - how does that look compared to the numbers that ABC was getting for it? I found one figure for NBC's SNF was 15 million - does anyone know what the ratings were for previous years?

Deattribution · 10-24-2006, 12:07 AM

I think a 12 broadcast rating is higher than a 12 cable rating from what I understand. A 15 broadcast would be more like a 20 cable.

21C · 10-24-2006, 12:12 AM

No the numbers I found were actually in the millions:

http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/nielsen.htm
http://www.usatoday.com/life/televis...elsen-more.htm

21C · 10-24-2006, 12:14 AM

Sorry - the SNF rating/viewers I got from here:

http://www.calendarlive.com/tv/ratin...l=cl-tvratings

bosshogg23 · 10-24-2006, 10:01 AM

Not sure if this helps or confuses things more.....

"Heightened by the emotional story line surrounding the New Orleans Saints' return to the Superdome on Monday night, the team's 23-3 victory over the Atlanta Falcons on ESPN drew the largest audience in the history of the network.

The game was being watched at any given time in an average of 10,850,00 homes and had a viewing audience of nearly 15 million.

It was the first time ESPN attracted an average of more than 10 million homes, and the game drew a larger audience than any of the first-run network prime-time shows Monday.

The number of households is the second most for any ad-supported cable network. The record is 11,174,000 for CNN's coverage of the Al Gore-Ross Perot debate in November 1993.

According to ESPN, Monday's game drew an 11.8 rating, but that is for the nation's 90 million cable and satellite homes. The overall rating, counting all 110 million U.S. television households, was a 9.7."

Link

"But while Monday Night Football brought unprecedented success to ESPN, it drew only about two-thirds the number of eyeballs that Monday Night Football drew to ABC."

Link

TazFTW · 10-25-2006, 04:08 PM

From IMDB,

Quote:

Cable Sets Ratings Record
ESPN's Monday Night Football telecast registered the largest audience in the history of cable TV and beat nearly every program carried by the broadcast networks with the exception of CBS's CSI: Miami. According to the cable sports network, the game between the New York Giants and the Dallas Cowboys averaged 11.8 million households, beating the previous record of 11.2 million held by the 1993 NAFTA debate between Al Gore and Ross Perot carried on CNN's Larry King Live.In total households, CSI: Miami attracted 12.6 million, but the ESPN telecast led among the key demographic group of adults 18-49 (tying for first place with NBC's Heroes). The figure is particularly striking inasmuch as ESPN can be seen in only 86 percent of TV households. Meanwhile NBC and the NFL announced that the first game to air under the new "flex" schedule for NBC Sunday Night Football will be the Chicago Bears-New York Giants contest on Nov. 12. The flex schedule is designed to assure the network that it will be able to televise important games as the season comes to an end.

JonInMiddleGA · 10-25-2006, 04:29 PM

Funny you asked about this, since I was just reading some stuff about it earlier today.

http://www.medialifemagazine.com/art...ticle_8115.asp

Monday night’s Dallas Cowboys-New York Giants game, featuring explosive and corrosive wide receiver Terrell Owens, was the highest-rated program in basic cable history, according to Nielsen ratings issued yesterday.

The game averaged 11.8 million households, bettering the 11.17 million households that watched the 1993 Ross Perot-Al Gore NAFTA debate on CNN.

The game also drew more than 16 million viewers, or more than any broadcast program except CBS's "CSI: Miami" Monday night.

Three times “MNF” had come close to beating that record already this season. Viewership for the show is up 49 percent over last season’s average for “Sunday Night Football,” which ESPN carried up until this year, when it paid $1.1 billion to get “MNF” from ABC.

So, extrapolating from that a little, I'm figuring ESPN is averaging around 15m viewers for MNF, so that would have put them around 10m for last year's Sunday night games. NBC has already had 2 games with 18 million + viewers, so I figure they're getting from Sunday night's now at least what ESPN is getting for Monday nights.

Meanwhile, by way of some comparison, ABC drew 19 million for last year's season opener, leaving ESPN off by about 1/3rd. Game 2 numbers were on a similar scale.

One writer (a TV blogger for the Houston Chronicle) summed it up roughly as about half of the net loss of audience being accounted for by the lower distribution of ESPN (available in roughly 83% of TV HH) and the other half by whatever other factors come into play.

edit to add: In case anybody is wondering, the reference to T.O. is expanded upon in the full article, which indicated that every network had either their highest rating or 2nd highest rating so far this season with games featuring the Cowboys.

ice4277 · 10-25-2006, 05:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

edit to add: In case anybody is wondering, the reference to T.O. is expanded upon in the full article, which indicated that every network had either their highest rating or 2nd highest rating so far this season with games featuring the Cowboys.

Its funny how everyone says they are sick of him.

Deattribution · 10-25-2006, 07:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ice4277

Its funny how everyone says they are sick of him.

Yeah, it's been a rough time for the Cowboys having no fans and selling no merchandise, especially thru that crappy period in the early/mid 90's. I'm glad T.O has built them a fanbase finally.

caspanky · 10-25-2006, 09:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ice4277

Its funny how everyone says they are sick of him.

In my house we are sick of him. We turned the game on to watch him lose. We were laughing so hard when he dropped that 4th down pass. Of course, we're 49er fans here, so we've had to put up with him since the beginning.

10-25-2006, 04:29 PM	#7
JonInMiddleGA Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Behind Enemy Lines in Athens, GA	Funny you asked about this, since I was just reading some stuff about it earlier today. http://www.medialifemagazine.com/art...ticle_8115.asp Monday night’s Dallas Cowboys-New York Giants game, featuring explosive and corrosive wide receiver Terrell Owens, was the highest-rated program in basic cable history, according to Nielsen ratings issued yesterday. The game averaged 11.8 million households, bettering the 11.17 million households that watched the 1993 Ross Perot-Al Gore NAFTA debate on CNN. The game also drew more than 16 million viewers, or more than any broadcast program except CBS's "CSI: Miami" Monday night. Three times “MNF” had come close to beating that record already this season. Viewership for the show is up 49 percent over last season’s average for “Sunday Night Football,” which ESPN carried up until this year, when it paid $1.1 billion to get “MNF” from ABC. So, extrapolating from that a little, I'm figuring ESPN is averaging around 15m viewers for MNF, so that would have put them around 10m for last year's Sunday night games. NBC has already had 2 games with 18 million + viewers, so I figure they're getting from Sunday night's now at least what ESPN is getting for Monday nights. Meanwhile, by way of some comparison, ABC drew 19 million for last year's season opener, leaving ESPN off by about 1/3rd. Game 2 numbers were on a similar scale. One writer (a TV blogger for the Houston Chronicle) summed it up roughly as about half of the net loss of audience being accounted for by the lower distribution of ESPN (available in roughly 83% of TV HH) and the other half by whatever other factors come into play. edit to add: In case anybody is wondering, the reference to T.O. is expanded upon in the full article, which indicated that every network had either their highest rating or 2nd highest rating so far this season with games featuring the Cowboys. __________________ "I lit another cigarette. Unless I specifically inform you to the contrary, I am always lighting another cigarette." - from a novel by Martin Amis Last edited by JonInMiddleGA : 10-25-2006 at 04:30 PM.

10-24-2006, 12:07 AM	#2
Deattribution College Benchwarmer Join Date: Oct 2003	I think a 12 broadcast rating is higher than a 12 cable rating from what I understand. A 15 broadcast would be more like a 20 cable.

10-24-2006, 12:12 AM	#3
21C College Prospect Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Newcastle, Australia	No the numbers I found were actually in the millions: http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/nielsen.htm http://www.usatoday.com/life/televis...elsen-more.htm

10-24-2006, 12:14 AM	#4
21C College Prospect Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Newcastle, Australia	Sorry - the SNF rating/viewers I got from here: http://www.calendarlive.com/tv/ratin...l=cl-tvratings

10-24-2006, 10:01 AM	#5
bosshogg23 College Benchwarmer Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Philly	Not sure if this helps or confuses things more..... "Heightened by the emotional story line surrounding the New Orleans Saints' return to the Superdome on Monday night, the team's 23-3 victory over the Atlanta Falcons on ESPN drew the largest audience in the history of the network. The game was being watched at any given time in an average of 10,850,00 homes and had a viewing audience of nearly 15 million. It was the first time ESPN attracted an average of more than 10 million homes, and the game drew a larger audience than any of the first-run network prime-time shows Monday. The number of households is the second most for any ad-supported cable network. The record is 11,174,000 for CNN's coverage of the Al Gore-Ross Perot debate in November 1993. According to ESPN, Monday's game drew an 11.8 rating, but that is for the nation's 90 million cable and satellite homes. The overall rating, counting all 110 million U.S. television households, was a 9.7." Link "But while Monday Night Football brought unprecedented success to ESPN, it drew only about two-thirds the number of eyeballs that Monday Night Football drew to ABC." Link

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