via press release:
NINE NFL GAMES TOP 25 MILLION VIEWERS IN 2010 –
UP 125 PERCENT FROM LAST SEASON
NFL Games 15 Most-Watched Shows on TV this Season
NFL Games Top Ratings in 29 of 30 NFL Markets
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.
NFL games are the only fall programs on television to reach 25 million viewers since Nov. 16, 2008 (60 Minutes interview with President Obama following a late Steelers-Chargers finish on CBS) – with 14 such telecasts.
The FOX national telecast (mostly Cowboys-Giants) was last week’s most-watched show among all programs on television with 26.2 million viewers -- the 10th time in 10 weeks that an NFL game telecast has been television’s most-watched program. Patriots-Steelers on NBC Sunday night was the week’s most-watched primetime program with 21.2 million viewers.
NFL Network kicked off its 2010 season of Thursday Night Football with Ravens-Falcons drawing 5.0 million viewers – the most-watched season opener in five seasons of TNF. The Game ranked as Thursday’s most-watched sporting event, posting 19 percent more viewers than the day’s second most-watched game (Celtics-Heat on TNT, 4.2 million viewers).
Following are the most-watched programs on television since the beginning of the NFL season:
| 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 |
| 3. NBC Thursday Night Kickoff Game (Vikings-Saints), 9/9 | 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
Following is the list of 29 NFL markets where football was the top-rated program for the week of Nov. 8-14:
| Week of 11/8–14 | HH | HH | RTG | ||
| Market | Game | Date | RTG | SHR | Rank |
| Pittsburgh | Steelers at Bengals | 11/14/10 | 49.9 | 68 | 1 |
| Baltimore | Ravens at Falcons | 11/11/10 | 39.0 | 58 | 1 |
| Minneapolis | Vikings at Bears | 11/14/10 | 36.9 | 69 | 1 |
| Cleveland | Jets at Browns | 11/14/10 | 36.6 | 63 | 1 |
| Boston | Patriots at Steelers | 11/14/10 | 36.4 | 55 | 1 |
| Kansas City | Chiefs at Broncos | 11/14/10 | 35.8 | 56 | 1 |
| Indianapolis | Bengals at Colts | 11/14/10 | 34.4 | 59 | 1 |
| Cincinnati | Steelers at Bengals | 11/14/10 | 34.0 | 49 | 1 |
| Dallas | Cowboys at Giants | 11/14/10 | 33.8 | 58 | 1 |
| Nashville | Titans at Dolphins | 11/14/10 | 31.4 | 51 | 1 |
| Chicago | Vikings at Bears | 11/14/10 | 31.1 | 60 | 1 |
| Denver | Chiefs at Broncos | 11/14/10 | 29.7 | 55 | 1 |
| Milwaukee | Vikings at Bears | 11/14/10 | 29.3 | 56 | 1 |
| St. Louis | Rams at 49ers | 11/14/10 | 28.8 | 49 | 1 |
| Jacksonville | Texans at Jaguars | 11/14/10 | 27.3 | 48 | 1 |
| Seattle | Seahawks at Cardinals | 11/14/10 | 26.6 | 52 | 1 |
| New Orleans | Cowboys at Giants | 11/14/10 | 25.2 | 37 | 1 |
| Detroit | Lions at Bills | 11/14/10 | 22.6 | 43 | 1 |
| Atlanta | Ravens at Falcons | 11/11/10 | 21.6 | 32 | 1 |
| Washington, DC | Cowboys at Giants | 11/14/10 | 20.7 | 36 | 1 |
| Phoenix | Seahawks at Cardinals | 11/14/10 | 20.6 | 39 | 1 |
| Philadelphia | Cowboys at Giants | 11/14/10 | 20.2 | 33 | 1 |
| San Fran-Oakland | Rams at 49ers | 11/14/10 | 19.6 | 49 | 1 |
| Houston | Texans at Jaguars | 11/14/10 | 19.5 | 40 | 1 |
| Miami | Titans at Dolphins | 11/14/10 | 19.2 | 39 | 1 |
| Buffalo | Jets at Browns | 11/14/10 | 17.0 | 33 | 1 |
| New York | Cowboys at Giants | 11/14/10 | 16.6 | 29 | 1 |
| San Diego | Patriots at Steelers | 11/14/10 | 16.5 | 25 | 1 |
| Charlotte | Cowboys at Giants | 11/14/10 | 16.1 | 26 | 1 |
Source: NFL & The Nielsen Company
