TMC
11-04-2022, 08:01 PM
https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2022/11/04/Media/NFL-average-viewership-down-Thursday-Night-Football-Amazon.aspx
BY AUSTIN KARP
11.4.2022
Viewership of "Thursday Night Football" on Amazon has become a slow drag (https://awfulannouncing.com/nfl/through-eight-weeks-amazon-is-a-strain-on-the-nfls-viewership.html) on the NFL’s overall numbers through Week 8, with average viewership now down 5% after being up earlier in the season. All NFL games are averaging 15.7 million viewers to date, down from 16.5 million at the same point in 2021 (which also was the best start for the NFL since 2015). Compared to two years earlier, however, the NFL is up 4% -- even with the "TNF" move.
LINEAR PARTNERS: The traditional NFL media partners (NBC, CBS, Fox and ESPN) are seeing averages right at where they were last season. “Sunday Night Football” is down just 1% to date, and that’s despite the average margin of victory (10.2 points per game) being up from 7.1 last season at this point. NBC continues to easily lead all primetime shows. Over on ESPN airwaves, “Monday Night Football” is flat at 13.7 million viewers (includes any simulcasts on ABC and ESPN2). It is a good spot for ESPN considering its experiment in Week 2, when two “MNF” games overlapped (one on ABC, one on ESPN/ESPN2). Excluding that Week 2 test, "MNF" is averaging 14.8 million viewers. One potential area of concern could be the ManningCast, which is down 8% to date (1.47 million vs. 1.59 million on ESPN2). On Sunday afternoons, CBS windows are down just 1% to date, and that is with one less doubleheader window compared to the same period in 2021. This season’s figure for CBS is also the second-best yet for the network. Fox’s Sunday afternoon package is seeing a 1% uptick to date.
THURSDAY NIGHT LIGHTS: Where the NFL is feeling the pinch is on Thursday nights. Amazon is averaging 10.3 million viewers to date. That is 16% lower than what Thursday night games drew through Week 8 last year, which was a combo of games on Fox/NFL Network and NFL Net alone. However, the Thursday slate of games this season is up 7% from the same point in 2020 (also a mix of NFL Net and Fox/NFL Net). If international games from London are excluded, the NFL average this season jumps to 16.2 million.
BY AUSTIN KARP
11.4.2022
Viewership of "Thursday Night Football" on Amazon has become a slow drag (https://awfulannouncing.com/nfl/through-eight-weeks-amazon-is-a-strain-on-the-nfls-viewership.html) on the NFL’s overall numbers through Week 8, with average viewership now down 5% after being up earlier in the season. All NFL games are averaging 15.7 million viewers to date, down from 16.5 million at the same point in 2021 (which also was the best start for the NFL since 2015). Compared to two years earlier, however, the NFL is up 4% -- even with the "TNF" move.
LINEAR PARTNERS: The traditional NFL media partners (NBC, CBS, Fox and ESPN) are seeing averages right at where they were last season. “Sunday Night Football” is down just 1% to date, and that’s despite the average margin of victory (10.2 points per game) being up from 7.1 last season at this point. NBC continues to easily lead all primetime shows. Over on ESPN airwaves, “Monday Night Football” is flat at 13.7 million viewers (includes any simulcasts on ABC and ESPN2). It is a good spot for ESPN considering its experiment in Week 2, when two “MNF” games overlapped (one on ABC, one on ESPN/ESPN2). Excluding that Week 2 test, "MNF" is averaging 14.8 million viewers. One potential area of concern could be the ManningCast, which is down 8% to date (1.47 million vs. 1.59 million on ESPN2). On Sunday afternoons, CBS windows are down just 1% to date, and that is with one less doubleheader window compared to the same period in 2021. This season’s figure for CBS is also the second-best yet for the network. Fox’s Sunday afternoon package is seeing a 1% uptick to date.
THURSDAY NIGHT LIGHTS: Where the NFL is feeling the pinch is on Thursday nights. Amazon is averaging 10.3 million viewers to date. That is 16% lower than what Thursday night games drew through Week 8 last year, which was a combo of games on Fox/NFL Network and NFL Net alone. However, the Thursday slate of games this season is up 7% from the same point in 2020 (also a mix of NFL Net and Fox/NFL Net). If international games from London are excluded, the NFL average this season jumps to 16.2 million.