NFL’s Most Watched Season In Two Decades

You knew this was coming. With ratings records being set by the five NFL TV partners, CBS, ESPN, Fox, NBC and NFL Network, it was only a matter of time when the NFL would send out a release touting the ratings for the regular season. And it says the NFL’s TV ratings are the best in two decades. Whether it be the recession, HDTV, the cold winter or other unknown factors, the NFL is the ratings king in sports. Here’s the release. Get ready to scroll.

NFL 2009 TV RECAP

 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).

• 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

It was an amazing year and with 2011 possibly being the last pro football we’ll see with a lockout threatening, we’ll see if these numbers are a trend or an anomaly.