Coverage of the New York Giants-Washington game drove CBS to its most-watched premiere week Thursday since 2007.
CBS and NFL Network’s presentation of the Giants' 45-14 trouncing of the Redskins earned a 10.2 rating and 16.3 million viewers, a 92% jump from the 5.3 mark and 8.3 million watchers for the Sept. 26, 2013 matchup between San Francisco-St. Louis on pro football league’s in-house service and the over-the-air station in the participating teams DMAs. The audience was most likely reduced by the 1.25 million in the New York DMA who watched Derek Jeter's final game at Yankee Stadium on YES.
In primetime, CBS/NFLN’s broadcast gave Black Rock its most-watched and highest-rated premiere week Thursday since 2007 -- Survivor China, CSI, Without a Trace. Compared to premiere Thursday last year, CBS/NFL Network was up 6% in viewers (15.4 million vs. 14.5 million); 9% in household rating (9.6 vs. 8.8); 47% among adults 18 to 49 (5.6 vs. 3.8); and 20% among adults 25 to 54 (6.1 vs. 5.1). (CBS and NFL Network are reporting audience data for the game and related programming, the way it was sold to advertisers, as a gross rating from CBS and NFL Network.)
Despite three blowouts, CBS/NFL Network has averaged a 10 rating/17 share, 56% above last year’s 6.4/11, and 16.1 million viewers, 59% more than last year’s 10.1 million, when the games only appeared on the cable network and broadcast affiliates in the participating clubs’ DMAs.
