A weekly feature wherein we contextualize TV ratings for national sports broadcasts. Data via Nielsen and Sports Business Journal's John Ourand. Viewership numbers represent approximate number of persons tuned to a given program; ratings share refers to the percentage of all households using a television who are turned into that program.
Monday, Nov. 5:
Monday Night Football: Philadelphia Eagles at New Orleans Saints (ESPN): 12.9 million viewers
Dancing with the Stars (ABC): 13.5 million viewers
Tuesday, Nov. 6:
Election night coverage, 10 p.m. to 11 p.m. (NBC): 12.0 million viewers
Election night coverage, 9 p.m. to 10 p.m.(FOX News Channel): 11.8 million viewers
Election night coverage, 11 p.m. to 12 a.m. (CNN): 10.8 million viewers
Election night coverage, 8 p.m. to 10:42 p.m. (ABC): 10.4 million viewers
Election night coverage, 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. (CBS): 7.8 million viewers
Election night coverage, 11 p.m. to 12 a.m. (MSNBC): 5.5 million viewers
Election night coverage, 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. (FOX): 4.0 million viewers
Election night coverage, 9:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. (Univsion): 3.3 million viewers
Election night coverage, 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. (Telemundo): 931,000 viewers
Criminal Minds (ION): 2.0 million viewers [Note: This was the most viewed non-election program of the night.]
Wednesday, Nov. 7:
No highly rated sporting events.
Thursday, Nov. 8:
NCAA football: Florida State at Virginia Tech (ESPN): 2.7 million viewers
Thursday Night Football: Indianapolis Colts at Jacksonville Jaguars (NFL Network): 5.2 million viewers
The Big Bang Theory (CBS): 16.9 million viewers
Friday, Nov. 9:
NCAA basketball: Maryland vs. Kentucky [at Barclays Center] (ESPN): 1.7 million viewers
Blue Bloods (CBS): 11.3 million viewers
Saturday, Nov. 10:
NCAA football: Oregon at Cal (ESPN): 3.7 million viewers
NCAA football: Northwestern at Michigan (ESPN): 2.6 million viewers
NCAA football: Notre Dame at Boston College (ABC): 5.8 million viewers
NCAA football: Kansas State at TCU (FOX): 3.0 million viewers
48 Hours (CBS): 6.0 million viewers
Sunday, Nov. 11:
Sunday Night Football: Houston Texans at Chicago Bears (NBC): 20.9 million viewers
NASCAR Sprint Cup series at Phoenix (ESPN): 4.4 million viewers
Breaking Amish: The Shunning Truth, Pt. 1 (TLC): 3.9 million viewers
Walking Dead (AMC): 10.4 million viewers