NFL games top local ratings 92% of time — record pace through Week 13

NFL Game Most Watched Show in All 13 Weeks

NFL games have topped the ratings in local markets a record 92 percent of the time this season – up from 88 percent through Week 13 last season.  Last week (Nov. 26-Dec. 2), NFL games were tops in 26 of 30 NFL markets.

Nationally, NFL games were the two most-watched shows on TV last week with the CBS national telecast (mostly Pittsburgh Steelers-Baltimore Ravens) topping all sports and entertainment competition with 23.0 million viewers followed by NBC’s Sunday Night Football (Dallas Cowboys-Philadelphia Eagles) with 20.4 million viewers.

This marks the 13th time in 13 weeks that an NFL game has topped the viewership charts and the 12th time in 13 weeks that NFL games ranked 1-2 in viewership for the week.

For the season, NFL games rank as 22 of the 23 most-watched TV shows since Labor Day. Following are the most-watched programs this fall:

Program	Viewers
1. FOX Thanksgiving Game (Redskins-Cowboys), 11/22	28.7 million
2. NBC Sunday Night Football (Steelers-Broncos), 9/9	27.6 million
3. CBS Thanksgiving Game (Texans-Lions), 11/22	27.3 million
4. FOX Sunday National (mostly Giants-Cowboys), 10/28	26.9 million
5. FOX Sunday National (mostly 49ers-Packers), 9/9	26.4 million
6. FOX Sunday National (mostly 49ers-Saints), 11/25	24.9 million
7. CBS Sunday National (mostly Broncos-Patriots), 10/7	24.5 million
8. FOX Sunday National (mostly Cowboys-Eagles), 11/11	24.3 million
9. CBS Sunday National (mostly Steelers-Giants), 11/4	24.2 million
10. CBS Sunday National (mostly Texans-Broncos), 9/23	24.0 million
11. NBC Wed. Night Kickoff Game (Cowboys-Giants), 9/5	23.9 million
12. CBS Sunday National (Indy-NE & SD-Den), 11/18	23.6 million
13. CBS Sunday National (mostly Steelers-Ravens), 12/2	23.0 million
14. CBS Sunday National (mostly Jets-Patriots), 10/21	23.0 million
15. FOX Sunday National (mostly Giants-49ers), 10/14	22.8 million
16. NBC Sunday Night Football (Giants-Eagles), 9/30	22.8 million
17. NBC Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade, 11/22	22.4 million
18. FOX Sunday National (mostly Saints-Packers), 9/30	22.3 million
19. NBC Sunday Night Football (Cowboys-Falcons), 11/4	21.8 million
20. NBC Sunday Night Football (Lions-49ers), 9/16	21.3 million
21. NBC Sunday Night Football (Patriots-Ravens), 9/23	21.3 million
22. NBC Sunday Night Football (Texans-Bears), 11/11	20.9 million
23. NBC Sunday Night Football (Packers-Giants), 11/25	20.9 million
24. CBS NCIS (Season Premiere), 9/25	20.5 million

Source: NFL & The Nielsen Company