Week one of the NFL is in the books and it is clear that the
NFL is still the undisputed king of television. The NFL dominated television ratings Sunday
and Monday as America proved how football crazy they really are as they helped
the NFL and its television partners break records like Peyton Manning.
According CBS DC, the compelling storylines of Washington Redskins
quarterback Robert Griffin III’s return from a serious knee injury and the
Philadelphia Eagles’ innovative, frantic offense under new head coach Chip
Kelly (combined with the background aura of Monday Night Football of course)
helped the game draw a enormous 11.6 overnight rating. This big number set an
ESPN ratings record for opening night MNF contests with the previous record
holder being a 2010 opening contest between the Baltimore Ravens and New York
Jets.
Sunday’s slate of NFL games performed even stronger as the
rematch of the 2012 NFC Divisional playoff game between Colin Kaepernick and
the San Francisco 49ers and Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers drew a 16.6
rating and was watched by over 28.5 million people according to FOX. The number
was FOX’s biggest opening day rating of all time and was the most watched
television program since the Academy Awards back in February. Rival CBS had
success as well as it earned an impressive 11.2 rating for its regional games
(there were no featured contests this week), which was its highest mark in 14
years.
If these numbers prove anything, it is that the NFL is so
ingrained in American culture that even concussion lawsuits and murderous
players cannot break America’s love affair with the pigskin.
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Aaron J. Coleman is currently a sport management major at Drexel
University in Philadelphia, PA minoring in Communication (with a focus in
Public Relations). He was born and raised in Upper Marlboro, MD, a suburb
outside of Washington, DC. He is currently a supervisor for Drexel’s Intramural
Sports program and also an intern for the Arena Football Legaue’s Philadelphia
Soul franchise. He covers the Chicago Bulls, New York Yankees, and Washington
Redskins (his favorite squads along with the Washington Capitals and Drexel
Dragons) for sportsfansnews.com. Follow Aaron on Twitter @shutupCole.
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