Ratings for Sunday’s 13 Week 1 NFL games declined slightly from a year ago.
According to Rick Porter of The Hollywood Reporter, Sunday’s games on the FOX, CBS and NBC networks combined for an average of 71.91 million viewers. In comparison, the networks averaged a combined 74.13 million viewers in last year’s Week 1 Sunday games.
FOX was the big winner here in regards to the ratings. The “America’s Game of the Week” broadcast – featuring Tom Brady’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers against Drew Brees’ New Orleans Saints – drew 25.85 million viewers, per Porter.
This game marked just the sixth ever showdown between Brees and Brady, who sit first and second all time, respectively, in career passing yards and passing touchdowns.
Not only that, but it was noted by Porter that FOX saw a seven-percent increase in the “early regional coverage.”
The Sunday Night Football game on NBC featured two big market teams: The Dallas Cowboys vs. the Los Angeles Rams. However, the late game broadcast from NBC had just 18.94 million viewers, per Porter.
That’s a considerable drop from the 22.7 million viewers who tuned into the New England Patriots-Pittsburgh Steelers Sunday Night Football game in Week 1 of last year.
Of course, it’s only Week 1. And the ongoing NHL and NBA playoffs may have played a factor in the declining ratings this week. In hockey, Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the New York Islanders in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Final to take a 3-1 series lead.
In basketball, the Denver Nuggets defeated the Los Angeles Clippers to force a Game 7 in their second round matchup.
The NHL and NBA seasons traditionally begin in October, but their respective 2019-20 campaigns were delayed for nearly five months due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Both seasons are slated to conclude in October.
Week 2 features several can’t-miss games, including a Sunday nighter between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks plus a Monday night showdown between the Saints and Las Vegas Raiders.
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