With all of the major cable and satellite providers on board now, NFL Network can say it’s on a level playing field with other channels on basic tiers. And for the 5th straight year, Thursday Night Football set viewership records for the most-watched league-owned network. The 13 game schedule averaged 8 million viewers, up 10% from 2012.
The primetime package averaged a 5.0 US household rating, up 9% from last season. And NFL Network can be proud that each game was the most-watched primetime program on cable.
The Thursday Night Football season finale between the San Diego Chargers and the Denver Broncos saw a 6.3 rating and an average viewership of 10.2 million. However, that was not the highest-rated and most-watched TNF game in NFL Network history. That distinction belongs to Kansas City-Philadelphia in Week 3 which garnered a 7.0 rating and 11.1 million viewers.
We have the press release from NFL Network.
2013 THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL SCHEDULE SETS RATING & VIEWERSHIP RECORDS FOR NFL NETWORK
13-game schedule produces most-watched season for Thursday Night Football with an average of 8 million viewers – Up 10% vs. 2012 season average
The #1 Thursday program on cable this Fall, Chargers/Broncos ends season with a 6.3 US HH rating & 10.2 million viewersThe eighth year of live regular season primetime games on NFL Network again set rating and viewership records for the network in 2013. Including the audience from over-the-air broadcasts in local markets, NFL Network’s 13-game schedule of Thursday Night Football broadcasts finished with a record-high per game average audience of 8 million viewers in 2013, up 10% from 2012, marking the fifth consecutive year that Thursday Night Football has set an all-time high viewership mark for NFL Network.
For the season, Thursday Night Football on NFL Network averaged a 5.0 US HH rating (including OTA’s) – another record for the network – a 9% increase from the 2012 season. Each week of the 2013 Thursday Night Football schedule, NFL Network’s game telecast was the day’s most-watched program on cable television.
The Thursday Night Football clash in Week Three between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles delivered a 7.0 US HH rating and was watched by an average of 11.1 million viewers – ranking it as the highest-rated Thursday Night Football telecast in NFL Network history. Won by the Chiefs 26-16, the game telecast edged out the 2013 season opener between the Jets and Patriots (6.9 US HH) to become the highest-rated game in NFL Network history.
(Source: Nielsen Media Research, Live + Same Day viewing)
About NFL Network’s 2013 Thursday Night Football
Play-by-play announcer Brad Nessler and Emmy-nominated analyst Mike Mayock returned to the Thursday Night Football broadcast booth for the third season and were joined by Alex Flanagan for her fourth year as the sideline reporter for NFL Network game telecasts.
Thursday Night Football on NFL Network was again carried on free, over-the-air television in the city of the visiting team and in the city where the game was played, if the game sold out 72 hours in advance of kickoff. NFL Network games were again available in Spanish via SAP this season. Roberto Abromowitz was NFL Network’s SAP announcer.
All Thursday Night Football games were streamed live on the recently redesigned NFL Mobile app. Complementary digital coverage was available at NFL.com/LIVE Thursday Night Football or via the TNF Xtra feature found within the NFL Mobile app.
NFL Network 2013 Thursday Night Football Schedule
- Week 2: 9/12 – New England Patriots 13 – New York Jets 10
- Week 3: 9/19 – Kansas City Chiefs 26 – Philadelphia Eagles 16
- Week 4: 9/26 – San Francisco 49ers 35 – St. Louis Rams 11
- Week 5: 10/3 – Cleveland Browns 37 – Buffalo Bills 24
- Week 6: 10/10 – Chicago Bears 27 – New York Giants 21
- Week 7: 10/17 – Seattle Seahawks 34 – Arizona Cardinals 22
- Week 8: 10/24 – Carolina Panthers 31 – Tampa Bay Buccaneers 13
- Week 9: 10/31 – Miami Dolphins 22 – Cincinnati Bengals 20
- Week 10: 11/7 – Minnesota Vikings 34 – Washington Redskins 27
- Week 11: 11/14 – Indianapolis Colts 30 – Tennessee Titans 27
- Week 12: 11/21 – New Orleans Saints 17 – Atlanta Falcons 13
- Week 14: 12/5 – Jacksonville Jaguars 27 – Houston Texans 20
- Week 15: 12/12 – San Diego Chargers 27 – Denver Broncos 20
That is all.
