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CBS, Fox See Slight Increase in Viewership for NFL Week 1 Ratings

Some time slots saw growth while others went down in the ratings department.

CBS and Fox saw a slight increase in viewership for Week 1 Ratings, while NBC's prime-time ratings were down, according to Sports Media Watch.

Fox's national broadcast, which featured the Cowboys–Panthers game, drew a 15.7 overnight rating. This was a small improvement from last year's 15.6 for the same time slot which aired a Seahawks–Panthers contest.

The early afternoon slot had improvement in regional coverage from both CBS and FOX. CBS improved from 8.6 last year to 10.6 this year. FOX saw an increase from 8.4 last year to 8.8 this year. It is worth noting that Hurricane Irma impacted Week 1 ratings last year.

Primetime numbers for Sunday Night Football took a dip. The Packers' dramatic comeback win over the Bears drew a 14.4 compared to a 15.8 from Giants–Cowboys last year. Last year had already been down 9% from 2016. 

Thursday Night Football ratings also declined a bit but the Eagles–Falcons' season opener was delayed by rain.