The not-for-profit trade association representing America’s local broadcast TV industry has responded to “recent media coverage” about the high number of viewers to a January 10 National Football League playoff game exclusive to Amazon Prime Video with statistics that reinforce the NFL’s longtime presence on free-to-air television.
That match between the Green Bay Packers and the Chicago Bears ended up becoming the most-watched NFL game ever offered on a streaming platform.
However, the TVB shares, a closer examination of Nielsen data shows that broadcast television continues to deliver significantly larger NFL audiences for postseason and regular season games.
According to Nielsen, the national Live+1 audience for the Amazon telecast among people 2+ posted a 9.82 rating, delivering 31.6 million impressions. Here’s the fine print: this figure includes local broadcast station viewership in the home team Designated Market Areas (DMAs), specifically Green Bay and Chicago.
While Green Bay’s local broadcast data has not yet been reported, Nielsen has released Chicago DMA results. In Chicago alone, the game delivered an 18.4 Live+Same Day rating, totaling approximately 1.73 million impressions. When the Chicago broadcast audience is removed from the national total, Amazon’s streaming-only audience is estimated at approximately 29.87 million impressions, TVB shares.
The highest NFL game for that weekend using the same metrics (Live +1 for people 2+) was on broadcast television (FOX) with a 12.73 rating and 40.97 million impressions.
Furthermore, the TVB shares that during the regular season, broadcast NFL games consistently generate large viewership. The Thanksgiving Day NFL game on CBS achieved a 17.81 rating and 57.33 million impressions while the Kansas City Chiefs vs. Philadelphia Eagles rematch on September 14, which aired on FOX, earned a 10.5 rating, delivering 33.81 million impressions.
“While streaming platforms continue to grow, Nielsen data makes clear that broadcast television remains the most powerful platform for reaching the largest NFL audiences,” the broadcast TV advocacy group concludes.
