Two NFL-Related Press Releases

So we have some good stuff for you from the National Football League and NBC Sports.

First, the NFL says the CBS late games between the Broncos-Jets and Steelers-Patriots was the most watched TV program of the season.

CBS DOUBLEHEADER GAME RANKS AS MOST-WATCHED SHOW OF TV SEASON

NFL GAMES 8 OF 10 MOST-WATCHED PROGRAMS THIS TV SEASON

NFL GAMES TOP RATINGS IN 27 MARKETS

Last week’s CBS doubleheader game (split between Broncos-Jets and Patriots-Steelers) was the most-watched program of the TV season with 25.5 million viewers. The game was followed in the weekly rankings by the Fox Thanksgiving Day game (Seahawks-Cowboys) with 22.7 million viewers.

NFL games rank as eight of the 10 most-watched shows of this TV season.

Following are the 10 most-watched shows of the current TV season:

1. CBS Sunday National (Broncos-Jets & Pats-Steelers), 11/30 – 25.5 million viewers
2. CBS Sunday National (mostly Patriots-Jets), 9/14 – 25.2 million viewers
3. 60 Minutes (Obama interview preceded by late SD-Pitt finish), 11/16 – 25.1 million viewers
4. FOX Sunday National (mostly Cowboys-Cardinals), 10/12 – 23.7 million viewers
5. CSI (season premiere), 10/9 – 23.5 million viewers
6. FOX Sunday National (mostly Cowboys-Giants), 11/2 – 23.3 million viewers
7. FOX Sunday National (mostly Giants-Cardinals), 11/23 – 23.3 million viewers
8. CBS Sunday National (mostly Colts-Packers), 10/19 – 23.2 million viewers
9. FOX Thanksgiving Day (Seahawks-Cowboys), 11/27 – 22.7 million viewers
10. CBS Sunday National (mostly Colts-Steelers), 11/9 – 22.4 million viewers

Source: NFL, Nielsen Media Research, 9/1/08-11/30/08

NFL games also topped the local ratings in 27 of 30 markets last week.

Following are the NFL markets where football was the top-rated program for the week of Nov. 24-30:

(Market – Game, Date, HH Rating/HH Share, Rating Rank)
Pittsburgh – Steelers @ Patriots, 11/30/08, 49.1/68, #1
New Orleans* – Packers @ Saints, 11/24/08, 41.1/55, #1
Indianapolis – Colts @ Browns, 11/30/08, 37.8/60, #1
Milwaukee* – Packers @ Saints, 11/24/08, 36.3/52, #1
Minneapolis – Bears @ Vikings, 11/30/08, 36.1/49, #1
Buffalo – 49ers @ Bills, 11/30/08, 35.8/58, #1
Boston – Steelers @ Patriots, 11/30/08, 33.2/52, #1
Kansas City – Chiefs @ Raiders, 11/30/08, 32.1/51, #1
Tampa Bay – Saints @ Buccaneers, 11/30/08, 31.9/53, #1
Denver – Broncos @ Jets, 11/30/08, 31.5/56, #1
Cleveland – Colts @ Browns, 11/30/08, 29.3/53, #1
Baltimore – Ravens @ Bengals, 11/30/08, 28.7/47, #1
Washington, DC – Giants @ Redskins, 11/30/08, 28.7/55, #1
Chicago – Bears @ Vikings, 11/30/08, 28.5/41, #1
Nashville – Titans @ Lions, 11/27/08, 26.9/56, #1
Dallas – Seahawks @ Cowboys, 11/27/08, 26.8/62, #1
Philadelphia** – Cardinals @ Eagles, 11/27/08, 26.5/46, #1
Charlotte – Panthers @ Packers, 11/30/08, 25.5/44, #1
San Diego – Falcons @ Chargers, 11/30/08, 25.1/51, #1
Cincinnati – Ravens @ Bengals, 11/30/08, 23.0/42, #1
Atlanta – Falcons @ Chargers, 11/30/08, 20.1/34, #1
Miami – Dolphins @ Rams, 11/30/08, 19.7/38, #1
St. Louis – Dolphins @ Rams + Bonus Coverage, 11/30/08, 19.0/27, #1
New York – Broncos @ Jets, 11/30/08, 17.8/29, #1
Seattle – Seahawks @ Cowboys, 11/27/08, 17.4/48, #1
SF-Oakland – 49ers @ Bills, 11/30/08, 14.6/37, #1
Phoenix** – Cardinals @ Eagles, 11/27/08, 14.3/28, #1

* Local affiliate & ESPN combined; ** Local affiliate & NFLN combined
Source: NFL & Nielsen Media Research

And NBC previews this Sunday night’s Washington Redskins-Baltimore Ravens game.

MAJOR PLAYOFF IMPLICATIONS AS REDSKINS AND RAVENS CLASH ON “NBC SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL”

NEW YORK – Dec. 3, 2008 – “NBC Sunday Night Football,” in its third season as the NFL’s premier primetime package, “flexes” to Baltimore as Ray Lewis, Joe Flacco and the Ravens (8-4) host Clinton Portis and the Washington Redskins (7-5) a key game for both teams seeking playoff spots. Al Michaels (play-by-play), John Madden (analyst) and Andrea Kremer (sideline reporter) call the action. Coverage on NBC begins at 7 p.m. ET with “Football Night in America,” with Bob Costas (host), Cris Collinsworth (co-host) Keith Olbermann (co-host), Dan Patrick (co-host), Jerome Bettis (analyst), Tiki Barber (analyst) and Peter King (reporter).

MICHAELS ON REDSKINS: “All of a sudden the Washington Redskins are in peril right now. The will have to fight their way and scratch and claw for a Wild Card spot.”

BETTIS ON RAY LEWIS: “To me, Ray Lewis is the same player he always has been, which is a dominant player. He is fun to watch and maybe the only defensive player I’d pay to see play.”

BETTIS ON THE REDSKINS: “It’s a cliché to say it’s a must win game for the Redskins but this is really a game they have to win. I think the Redskins need to open things up. Their offense has been very conservative and too one dimensional; give Jason Campbell a chance to win the game.”

MADDEN ON DECEMBER FOOTBALL: “You get yourself in position in December and December football is always tough football. It’s running and stopping the run and tackling and all of those things. And when I think about all of that I think about the Baltimore Ravens. It should be a tough game on Sunday.”

REDSKINS-RAVENS IN PRIMETIME: The Redskins are making their third 2008 appearance on NBC. In the opening game of the NFL season the Skins lost to the Giants 16-7 and in Week 11 they fell to the Cowboys 14-10. They are now 2-3 overall since the NFL’s premier primetime package moved to NBC in 2006. This is just the Ravens second “NBC SNF” appearance all-time. Last season in Week 14 they lost to the Colts 44-20.

REDSKINS VS. RAVENS: This is only the fourth meeting in this series and the first ever in Baltimore. The Ravens have won two of the three matchups including the last time these two teams met, 17-10 in 2004.

BIG BATTLE IN BIG D NEXT WEEK ON SNF: “Sunday Night Football” goes to Dallas next week for a classic NFC East division showdown as the division leading Giants take on the Cowboys. The Giants (11-1) can clinch the NFC East division this Sunday with a win and the Cowboys (8-4) are fighti
ng for their playoff lives.

I’ll have an update coming up.