The NFL on TV is always a huge draw, and according to a press release from the league, viewership is up from last season:
Nine NFL game telecasts this season have been watched by 25 million viewers – up 125 percent from this point last year (four) and matching the total for the full 2009 season, according to The Nielsen Company.
While not among those games watched by over 25 million viewers, the Denver Broncos have played in two games that rank inside the top-15 most-watched TV programs. On Sept. 26, most CBS stations had broadcast the Colts vs. Broncos (first game after Kenny McKinley's death), a match-up that received 23.1 million viewers. That game is in a three-way tie for 10th place with the Oct. 3 Eagles-Redskins game (Donovan McNabb's first game against the Eagles) and the Sept. 29 Giants-Colts tilt (the Manning Brothers Bowl).
The Oct. 17 Jets vs. Broncos (and for some Ravens-Patriots) contest took 15th place with 21.5 million viewers. The New York Jets entered that game 4-1 and the Denver Broncos had just dropped a game to the Baltimore Ravens. The game had an exciting finish as a pass interference penalty on the Broncos and Jets running back LaDainian Tomlinson gave New York the 24-20 victory.
Fifteen games finished in the rating better than the Sept. 27 episode of Dancing with the Stars. The full list below.
Program
Viewers
1. FOX Sunday National (mostly Packers-Eagles), 9/12
28.0 million
2. CBS Sunday National (mostly Colts-Eagles), 11/7
27.8 million
27.5 million
4. CBS Sunday National (mostly Patriots-Jets), 9/19
27.0 million
5. FOX Sunday National (mostly Cowboys-Giants), 11/14
26.2 million
6. FOX Sunday National (mostly Cowboys-Vikings), 10/17
26.0 million
7. NBC Sunday Night Football (Vikings-Packers), 10/24
25.7 million
8. NBC Sunday Night Football (Cowboys-Redskins), 9/12
25.3 million
9. FOX Sunday National (mostly Vikings-Patriots), 10/31
25.2 million
10. CBS Sunday National (mostly Colts-Broncos), 9/26
23.1 million
10. FOX Sunday National (mostly Redskins-Eagles), 10/3
23.1 million
10. NBC Sunday Night Football (Giants-Colts), 9/19
23.1 million
13. FOX Sunday Single (mostly Cowboys-Texans & Eagles-Jaguars), 9/26
22.2 million
14. CBS Sunday National (mostly Patriots-Chargers), 10/24
21.9 million
15. CBS Sunday Single (mostly Jets-Broncos & Ravens-Patriots), 10/17
21.5 million
16. Dancing with the Stars, 9/27
21.4 million
Source: NFL & The Nielsen Company, 9/9-11/14/10
Last Sunday's game against the Chiefs was the top-rated program in the Denver market, garnering a 29.7 rating.