Thanks to having all of the major cable and satellite providers on board for the first time, NFL Network had access to all of the subscribers for Thursday night’s game between the Cleveland Browns and the Baltimore Ravens. It paid off with an average of over eight million viewers, the fifth highest audience for a Thursday Night Football game. Not counting the over the air stations, the game saw an average of 8.1 million viewers.
Thanks to the over eight million viewers, Thursday’s game was the most watched program on cable.
NFL Network says this season is on a pace to be the most watched in Thursday Night Football history.
Here’s the statement.
THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL’S BROWNS-RAVENS TOPS EIGHT MILLION VIEWERS; CONTINUES PACE TO BE MOST-WATCHED SEASON EVER ON NFL NETWORK
8.1 Million Viewers Watch Baltimore Defeat Cleveland 23-16
NFL Digital Media Platforms Deliver over 1 Million StreamsNFL Network’s Thursday Night Football continues to deliver strong viewership numbers in 2012. The Browns-Ravens game was watched by an average of 8.1 million viewers (not including over-the-air stations in Baltimore and Cleveland) – ranking as the fifth most-watched game in the seven seasons of Thursday Night Football and making it the No. 1 program on cable television for Thursday, September 27.
Through three games of its expanded 13-game schedule, Thursday Night Football is averaging a 5.0 US HH rating (+39% vs. 2011 average) and 7.9 million viewers (+28% vs. 2011 average) – on pace to be the highest-rated and most-watched Thursday Night Football season ever.
On the interactive front, coverage and features around the Browns/Ravens game across NFL Digital Media platforms – NFL.com/LIVE, NFL Mobile, and the NFL 12 tablet app – delivered 520k unique viewers (+17% vs. 2011 average) and one million video streams (+15% vs. 2011 average).
Thursday Night Football continues next week with the Arizona Cardinals visiting the St. Louis Rams on Oct. 4 at 8:00 PM ET. The Thursday Night Kickoff pregame show begins at 6:00 PM ET. All Thursday Night Football games are streamed live on NFL Mobile with complementary online coverage via NFL.com/LIVE Thursday Night Football.
That’s all.
