Ratings

“THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL” ON CBS AND NFL NETWORK SCORES WITH AN AVERAGE OF 20.8 MILLION VIEWERS, +89% FROM A YEAR AGO

Pittsburgh-Baltimore Game Posts Best Thursday Primetime Viewers and Ratings on CBS Since 2007

CBS and NFL Network’s debut broadcast of THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL on Thursday, Sept. 11 featuring Pittsburgh-Baltimore was seen by an average of 20.8 million viewers (Live + Same Day), +89% from last year’s comparable viewing average of 11.0 million on NFL Network (N.Y. Jets-New England; 9/12/13).

“The debut of THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL on network television exceeded our ratings expectations,” said Sean McManus, Chairman, CBS Sports. “From a ratings, sales and production standpoint we could not be more pleased with the success of last night's broadcast and our partnership with NFL Network on THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL.”

“Since THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL first began on NFL Network in 2006, we've been strategically building this franchise,” said Brian Rolapp, Executive Vice President of Media for the NFL. “As these numbers indicate, the partnership between CBS and NFL Network is helping to expose THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL to a wider audience and further cement Thursdays as the night to kick off the NFL week.”

Last night’s programming on CBS and NFL Network from 8:00-11:00 PM averaged 19.4 million viewers, which was +234% higher in viewer average from last year’s 5.8 million.  CBS’s primetime programming on Sept. 12, 2013 was BIG BANG THEORY repeat (8:00 PM); CBS FALL PREVIEW SHOW (8:31 PM); BIG BROTHER (9:01 PM); and ELEMENTARY repeat (10:00 PM).  The 19.4 million was the most-viewed Thursday night of primetime programming on CBS since Nov. 8, 2007 (19.5 million).  

Last night’s game earned an average national household rating of 12.7 (Live + Same Day), +84% higher from last year’s comparable rating of 6.9 on NFL Network and over-the-air-stations within the two team markets. The 12.7 also is +81% higher than the all-time best game on NFL Network and over-the-air-stations within the two team markets, 7.0 HH rating (Kansas City-Philadelphia; 9/19/13). 

From 8:00-11:00 PM, the CBS/NFL Network broadcast averaged a national HH rating/share of 11.9/21, which is +213% higher than last year’s 3.8/6 and delivered the highest HH rating since Nov. 8, 2007 (12.1/19).

The viewer average peaked at 22.2 million viewers from 9:00-9:30 PM.

THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL will continue next week on Sept. 18 with Tampa Bay at Atlanta.

 

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CBS Sports Contacts: Jen Sabatelle    917-576-2435  jsabatelle@cbs.com

                                 Jerry Caraccioli 917-312-4940  gwcaraccioli@cbs.com

                                 Dan Sabreen     202-321-4195  dsabreen@cbs.com

NFL Network:             Alex Riethmiller 954-599-4154  alex.riethmiller@nfl.com