“Thursday Night Football” Rating and Viewers Up +94% Through Seven Weeks

San Diego vs. Denver Earns Second-Highest HH Rating and Viewer Delivery for
“Thursday Night Football” This Season with 12.3/21 and 20.2 Million Viewers

CBS and NFL Network’s broadcast of THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL on Thursday, Oct. 23, which featured Denver’s 35-21victory over San Diego, delivered increases in ratings and viewers from last year. The game earned an average fast-national (Live + Same Day) household rating/share of 12.3/21, +297%from last year’s 3.1/5, and delivered 20.2million viewers, +312%from last year’s 4.9 million viewers on NFL Network and over-the-air stations within the two team markets (Oct. 24, 2013: Carolina-Tampa Bay). Last night’s game was the second-highest-rated THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL game behind only the Pittsburgh-Baltimore game (12.7/22; 20.8 million viewers on Sept. 11, 2014).  

Through seven games of the CBS/NFL Network schedule, THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL is averaging a HH rating/share of 10.3/18, +94%compared to last year’s 5.3/9; and 16.5 millionviewers, +94% compared to last year’s 8.5 million – on pace to be the highest-rated and most-watched THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL season ever. Next week, THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL moves exclusively to NFL Network as the New Orleans Saints visit the Carolina Panthers on Oct. 30 at 8:00 PM, ET.

Compared to last year’s CBS primetime programming, THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL was +81%in viewers (18.8 millionfrom 10.4 million); and +77%in HH rating/share (11.5/19from 6.5/10), including +126%in adults 18-49 (6.1from 2.7) and +92%in adults 25-54 (7.1from 3.7).

CBS/NFL Network’s HH rating/share of 11.5/19in primetime beat each of the broadcast networks: +360%better than FOX (2.5/4), +311%better than NBC (2.8/5) and +77%better than ABC (6.5/11).

CBS/NFL Network’s viewership of 18.8 millionin primetime was +382%better than FOX (3.9m), +348%better than NBC (4.2m) and +98%better than ABC (9.5m).

The household rating/share and viewer average peaked at 13.0/21and 21.6million viewers, respectively, from 9:00-9:30 PM, ET.

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: Jerry Caraccioli 212/975-7466  gwcaraccioli@cbs.com

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

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