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, Oct. 15:
Monday Night Football: Denver Broncos at San Diego Chargers (ESPN): 12.8 million viewers
NLCS Game 2: St. Louis Cardinals at San Francisco Giants (FOX): 5.6 million viewers
Dancing with the Stars (ABC): 13.6 million viewers
The Voice (NBC): 13.0 million viewers
Tuesday, Oct. 16:
ALCS Game 3: New York Yankees at Detroit Tigers (TBS): 6.2 million viewers
World Cup qualifying: El Salvador at Mexico (Univision): 3.6 million viewers
World Cup qualifying: Guatemala at USA (Telefutura): 730,000 viewers
Presidential debate (FOX News): 11.1 million viewers
Presidential debate (CNN): 5.8 million viewers
Presidential debate (MSNBC): 4.9 million viewers
The Voice (NBC): 12.0 million viewers
Wednesday, Oct. 17:
ALCS Game 4: New York Yankees at Detroit Tigers [rain delay coverage] (TBS): 3.7 million viewers
Duck Dynasty (A&E): 3.9 million viewers
Thursday, Oct. 18:
Thursday Night Football: Seattle Seahawks at San Francisco 49ers (NFL Network): 7.0 million viewers
ALCS Game 4: New York Yankees at Detroit Tigers (TBS): 5.3 million viewers
NLCS Game 4: San Francisco Giants at St. Louis Cardinals (FOX): 6.0 million viewers
The Big Bang Theory (CBS): 15.7 million viewers
Friday, Oct. 19:
NLCS Game 5; San Francisco Giants at St. Louis Cardinals (FOX): 7.1 million viewers
Blue Bloods (CBS): 10.2 million viewers
Saturday, Oct. 20:
NCAA football: LSU at Texas A&M (ESPN): 4.2 million viewers
NCAA football: Alabama at Tennessee (ESPN): 4.2 million viewers
NCAA football: Florida State at Miami or Baylor at Texas [coverage map] (ABC): 4.8 million viewers
NCAA football: Kansas State at West Virginia (FOX): 2.5 million viewers
Law & Order: SVU, rerun (NBC): 3.7 million viewers
Sunday, Oct. 21:
Sunday Night Football: Pittsburgh Steelers at Cincinnati Bengals (NBC): 17.5 million viewers
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Kansas (ESPN): 3.9 million viewers
NLCS Game 6: St. Louis Cardinals at San Francisco Giants (FOX): 7.6 million viewers
Hank Parker 3D (NBCSN): 147,000 viewers [Note: This Sunday morning hunting show was NBCSN's most viewed program of the week.]
The Walking Dead (AMC): 9.5 million viewers