It’s not surprising that on the first day of the 2016 football season, the Green Bay Packers game against the Jacksonville Jaguars – and other games – were Sunday’s most watched programming.
It is surprising, however, that the overnight rating for the Packer game dipped almost nine points compared to the season opening game in 2015.
Sunday’s game earned a 38.3 rating for Fox affiliate WITI-TV (Channel 6). This means 337,882 TV homes were tuned in.
In 2015 the opening game against the Chicago Bears earned a 46.7 overnight rating, or 411,987 TV homes.
That’s a loss of about 74,000 TV homes. Why the drop?
Was it the caliber of the opposition, which gave the team a run for its money?
Was last year’s game more watched because of the rivalry with the hated but not feared Bears?
Was it because the weather was perfect and outdoor events and activities beckoned?
Hmmm. Whatever the reason this bears watching. There was a drop off last year when it appeared the team was in a slump.
This latest dip follows news that the national ad rates on NFL games have reached new highs: $717,375 and up per 30-second spot, about an 8% ad rate increases.
The total number of television households tuned into the Packer game was determined using the 8,822 viewers per rating point rubric. That figure jumps to 8,957 TV homes per rating point Sept. 24.
The New York Giants / Dallas Cowboys game that followed on WITI earned a 20.2 rating. NBC’s Sunday night game between the New England Patriots and the Arizona Cardinals earned a 16.2 rating. And the Miami Dolphins versus Seattle Seahawks on CBS affiliate WDJT-TV (Channel 58) earned a modest 5,7.
All ratings are preliminary.
Tags: Chicago Bears, Jacksonville, Packer, Ratings Posted by