MOST-WATCHED SEASON IN TWO DECADES
VIEWERSHIP GROWTH FOR ALL NFL TV PARTNERS
NFL GAMES: 14 of 15 MOST-WATCHED SHOWS THIS FALL &
TOP 14 SHOWS ON CABLE
NFL VIEWERSHIP 116 PERCENT HIGHER
THAN OTHER PRIMETIME PROGRAMMING
Football fans across America tuned into NFL games in the largest numbers in two decades. According to Nielsen Media Research, the average 2009 regular-season game was watched by 16.6 million viewers – up 2 million viewers per game from last year and the NFL’s highest viewership average since 1990 (16.7 million), before the explosion of viewer choice on television and online.
All NFL television partners shared in the viewership increase. FOX, NBC, ESPN, and NFL Network each had their most watched NFL regular seasons ever while CBS had its best season since 1993.
NFL regular-season games accounted for the 11 most-watched sporting events since Super Bowl XLIII and ranked as 14 of the 15 most-watched TV shows among all programming last fall (chart below).
NFL viewership on broadcast television continued to out-draw network primetime viewership. NFL games on CBS, FOX and NBC averaged 18.4 million viewers – 116 percent higher than the average primetime viewership among the four major over-the-air networks (8.5 million average on ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC). That NFL advantage is up from an 89 percent edge last year and 57 percent edge five years ago.
In local markets, NFL games were the highest-rated programs of the week a record 89 percent of the time – topping the mark set last season (88 percent). By comparison, NFL games topped local NFL market ratings 68 percent of the time five years ago (in 2004) and 55 percent of the time in 2001.
More 2009 NFL TV highlights (through the 2009 NFL regular season ending on 1/3/10):
- Nine NFL regular-season games were watched by 25 million viewers this season – up from 3 in 2008. NFL games were the only shows on TV to reach the 25 million mark in fall 2009.
- For the fall TV season, NFL games ranked at the top of weekly programs in average viewership with the top three, and five of the top 11 programs on network television (chart below). In addition, NFL games and NFL pregame and postgame shows accounted for the top 10 programs among men 18-49 (chart below).
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- FOX’s Sunday National Game (4:15 PM ET) was the most-watched weekly program with an average of 26.2 million viewers (chart below).
- CBS’ Sunday National Game (4:15 PM ET) was the second-most-watched weekly program with an average of 22.2 million viewers (chart below).
- NBC Sunday Night Football was the most-watched weekly primetime program with an average of 19.3 million viewers (chart below).
- FOX’s Nov. 1 Vikings-Packers game was the most-watched show of the fall broadcast season with 29.8 million viewers.
- NBC’s Giants-Cowboys game on Sept. 20 was the most-watched Sunday Night Football game ever (24.8 million viewers).
- ESPN’s Monday Night Football was the most-watched series on cable with an average of 14.4 million viewers. Monday Night Football accounted for the 14 most-watched cable programs this fall.
- ESPN’s Packers-Vikings telecast on Oct. 5 is the most-watched show in cable history with 21.8 million viewers and ESPN’s Patriots-Saints telecast on Nov. 30 is the second-most-watched show in cable history with 21.4 million viewers.
- NFL Network wrapped up its fourth season of Thursday Night Football with a record 5.5 million cable viewers tuning in on average – up 49 percent from last year.
NFL VS. PRIMETIME VIEWERSHIP ON BROADCAST TV
| NFL on | Broadcast | NFL | |
| Broadcast | Primetime | % Advantage | |
| 2002 Avg. Viewers | 15.8 million | 10.3 million | 52% |
| 2003 Avg. Viewers | 15.5 million | 9.9 million | 56% |
| 2004 Avg. Viewers | 15.4 million | 9.8 million | 57% |
| 2005 Avg. Viewers | 15.6 million | 9.7 million | 61% |
| 2006 Avg. Viewers | 16.3 million | 9.8 million | 66% |
| 2007 Avg. Viewers | 16.6 million | 8.7 million | 91% |
| 2008 Avg. Viewers | 16.6 million | 8.8 million | 89% |
| 2009 Avg. Viewers | 18.4 million | 8.5 million | 116% |
| Source: NFL & Nielsen Media Research. NFL regular season on Broadcast television | |||
| (CBS, FOX & NBC…ABC prior to 2006). Broadcast primetime on BIG 4 networks (ABC, CBS, NBC & FOX) all programs, NFL regular season dates used. | |||
Following are the top network television weekly programs nationally in average total viewers:
| Network | |
| Program | Viewers |
| 1. FOX Sunday National Game | 26.2 million |
| 2. CBS Sunday National Game | 22.2 million |
| 3. NBC Sunday Night Football | 19.3 million |
| 4. NCIS | 19.1 million |
| 5. Dancing with the Stars | 17.5 million |
| 6. FOX Sunday Single | 16.9 million |
| 7. Dancing with the Stars Results | 15.5 million |
| 8. NCIS: Los Angeles | 15.5 million |
| 9. The Mentalist | 14.9 million |
| 10. CSI | 14.8 million |
| 11. CBS Sunday Single | 14.7 million |
Following are last fall’s top 10 weekly programs on television in a key demographic (avg. rating):
| Men 18-49 | |
| Program | Rating |
| 1. FOX Sunday National Game | 12.8 |
| 2. CBS Sunday National Game | 10.4 |
| 3. NBC Sunday Night Football | 10.1 |
| 4. FOX Sunday Single Game | 8.4 |
| 5. ESPN Monday Night Football | 8.3 |
| 6. CBS Sunday Single Game | 7.3 |
| 7. NBC Sunday Night Pre-Kick | 7.1 |
| 8. FOX Sunday Regional Game | 7.0 |
| 9. CBS Sunday Regional Game | 6.6 |
| 9. The OT (FOX NFL Postgame) | 6.6 |
Broadcast Notes:
Regional — First window of a doubleheader
National — Second window of a doubleheader
Single — Only window on network not airing doubleheader that week.
Source: NFL, Nielsen Media Research, 9/7/09 – 1/3/10
Following are the 15 most-watched shows of the fall TV season:
| Program (Game) | Viewers |
| 1. FOX Sunday National (mostly Vikings-Packers), 11/1 | 29.8 million |
| 2. FOX Sunday National (mostly Falcons at Cowboys), 10/25 | 28.4 million |
| 3. CBS Sunday National (Broncos-Eagles, Jets-Colts), 12/27 | 28.2 million |
| 4. FOX Sunday National (mostly Cowboys-Giants), 12/6 | 27.8 million |
| 5. FOX Sunday National (mostly Cowboys-Packers), 11/15 | 26.7 million |
| 6. FOX Sunday National (mostly Eagles-Cowboys), 1/3/10 | 26.5 million |
| 7. FOX Sunday National (Packers-Steelers, 49ers-Eagles), 12/20 | 25.8 million |
| 8. CBS Thanksgiving Day (Raiders-Cowboys), 11/26 | 25.2 million |
| 9. FOX Sunday National (mostly Redskins-Giants), 9/13 | 25.1 million |
| 10. NBC Sunday Night Football (Giants-Cowboys), 9/20 | 24.8 million |
| 11. CBS Sunday National (Chargers-Cowboys), 12/13 | 24.1 million |
| 12. 2010 Rose Bowl (Ohio State-Oregon), 1/1/10 | 24.0 million |
| 13. CBS Sunday National (mostly Titans-Patriots), 10/18 | 23.9 million |
| 14. CBS Sunday National (mostly Steelers-Bears), 9/20 | 23.9 million |
| 15. FOX Sunday National (mostly Bears-Vikings), 11/29 | 23.6 million |
Source: NFL, Nielsen Media Research, 9/7/09 – 1/3/10
Following are the 15 most-watched basic cable shows of the fall TV season:
| Program, Date | Viewers |
| 1. ESPN Monday Night Football (Packers-Vikings), 10/5 | 21.8 million |
| 2. ESPN Monday Night Football (Patriots-Saints), 11/30 | 21.4 million |
| 3. ESPN Monday Night Football (Steelers-Broncos), 11/9 | 16.0 million |
| 4. ESPN Monday Night Football (Panthers-Cowboys), 9/28 | 15.7 million |
| 5. ESPN Monday Night Football (Colts-Dolphins), 9/21 | 14.7 million |
| 6. ESPN Monday Night Football (Bills-Patriots), 9/14 | 14.0 million |
| 7. ESPN Monday Night Football (Ravens-Packers), 12/7 | 13.5 million |
| 8. ESPN Monday Night Football (Broncos-Chargers), 10/19 | 13.5 million |
| 9. ESPN Monday Night Football (Jets-Dolphins), 10/12 | 13.1 million |
| 10. ESPN Monday Night Football (Cardinals-49ers), 12/14 | 13.1 million |
| 11. ESPN Monday Night Football (Eagles-Redskins), 10/26 | 12.8 million |
| 12. ESPN Monday Night Football (Falcons-Saints), 11/2 | 12.4 million |
| 13. ESPN Monday Night Football (Titans-Texans), 11/23 | 12.1 million |
| 14. ESPN Monday Night Football (Chargers-Raiders), 9/14 | 11.9 million |
| 15. ESPN College Football (USC-Ohio State), 9/12 | 10.6 million |
Source: NFL, Nielsen Media Research, 9/7/09 – 1/3/10
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