Broadcast of Indianapolis vs. Houston Earns Average of 15.9 Million Viewers, Up 69%  

CBS and NFL Network’s broadcast of THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL on Thursday, Oct. 9, which featured Indianapolis’s 33-28 victory over Houston, delivered increases in ratings and viewers from last year.  The game earned an average fast-national household rating/share of 10.0/17, +69% from last year’s 5.9/10, and delivered 15.9 million viewers, +69%from last year’s 9.4 million viewers on NFL Network and over-the-air stations within the two team markets (October 10, 2013: N.Y. Giants-Chicago).

Through five games of the CBS/NFL Network schedule, THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL is averaging a HH rating/share of 10.0/17, +69% compared to last year’s 5.9/10; and 15.9 million viewers, +67% compared to last year’s 9.5 million – on pace to be the highest-rated and most-watched THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL season ever.

Compared to last year’s CBS primetime programming, THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL was +30%in viewers (14.4million from 11.1 million); and +32% in HH rating (9.1/16 from 6.9/11), including +71%in Adults 18-49 (4.8 from 2.8) and +44% in Adults 25-54 (5.6from 3.9).

CBS/NFL Network’s HH rating/share of 9.1/16 in primetime beat each of the broadcast networks: +40% better than ABC (6.5/11), +184% better than FOX (3.2/5) and +203% better than NBC (3.0/5).  

CBS/NFL Network’s viewership of 14.4million in primetime was +52% better than ABC (9.5m), +182% better than FOX (5.1m) and +227% better than NBC (4.4m).     

The household rating/share and viewer average peaked at 11.2/23 and 17.7million viewers, respectively, from 11:30-11:41 PM, ET.

THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL will continue next week on October 16 with the N.Y. Jets at New England.

RATINGS NOTE: 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.

CBS Sports Contacts:

Jen Sabatelle        212/975-4120       jsabatelle@cbs.com

Robin Brendle       212/975-1533       rlbrendle@cbs.com

NFL Network:

Alex Riethmiller      310/840-4635       alex.riethmiller@nfl.com