NFL ratings took a hit in Week 5 as viewership numbers were down compared to last season. The New York Jets-Minnesota Vikings International Series game in London drew just 4.95 million viewers on NFL Network, which was a 3.5% decrease from a similar game last year.
During the early afternoon games, CBS had the most viewers with an average of 14.34 million for their doubleheader featuring the Buffalo Bills-Houston Texans and Baltimore Ravens-Cincinnati Bengals. This was a 14% increase from the previous season. Fox also had a solid viewership of 14.24 million for their singleheader, despite a 15% drop from last year.
In the late afternoon, the Green Bay Packers-Los Angeles Rams game on CBS averaged 20.27 million viewers, down 12% from a game in the same window last season. This marked the lowest viewership for a national window so far this season.
NBC’s Sunday Night Football had its lowest audience of the season, with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Dallas Cowboys game finishing late due to a weather delay. The game averaged 20.3 million viewers, down 23% from a similar game last year.
On Monday Night Football, the New Orleans Saints-Kansas City Chiefs game drew 15.91 million viewers across ESPN platforms, which was an 8.5% decrease from last season. It’s important to note that last season’s game was simulcast on ABC, while this week’s game was cable-only. MNF also faced competition from a Kansas City Royals ALDS game on Monday evening.
Overall, the NFL saw a decline in ratings for Week 5 compared to the previous season. Despite featuring popular teams and matchups, various factors such as scheduling, weather delays, and competition from other sports may have contributed to the decrease in viewership. It will be interesting to see how the league addresses these challenges moving forward to maintain and attract a strong viewership base.