NFL Hall of Fame Game draws 10.1 million viewers
By Chase Ruttig
Fake football still is better than no football in the minds of telvision vieweirs. The return of preseason football in the NFL Hall of Fame Game brought the viewers out in large numbers.
NBC has announced that the Hall of Fame game between the Cowboys and Dolphins averaged 10.1 million viewers. It’s the highest audience for any preseason game since the post-lockout contest between the Chargers and Cowboys in 2011, which drew an audience of 10.7 million.
The game was the No. 1 block of programming for the week among adults age 18-49, 18-34, 25-54, and in all key adult-male demographics. No surprise considering the NFL’s dominance in the United States sports scene.
Speaking of demographics, we’re told that the 3.8 rating in the 18-49 demographic outpaced the MLB All-Star game by 19 percent, at 3.2. Fake football being greater than the midsummer classic.
The preseason debut also outdrew NBC’s coverage of the Stanley Cup Finals between two major US markets in the Boston Bruins and Chicago Blackhawks.
As much as people like to moan and groan about the NFL Hall of Fame Game’s lack of quality and star power it appears that those people will tune in anyway as they are powerless to the spell of the NFL. Drawing 10.1 million viewers in a game in which everyone already knew that the biggest potential star Tony Romo was already sitting out just goes to show the hold the league has on the 18-49 demographic.
Real NFL preseason action goes underway on Friday as Week Two of the NFL preseason kicks off. Expect more high ratings for the league’s high profile preseason games at the countdown to the start of the regular season continues and fans continue to wet their appetites with some “fake football.”