RTL’s broadcast of the NFL Thursday Night Football game between the New England Patriots and Chicago Bears averaged up to 0.15 million viewers during the first half, pulling a peak market share of 7.7 percent overall and 11.8 percent among viewers aged 14 to 49, according to data from AGF Videoforschung and GfK.
Early Morning Countdown Draws Niche Audience
The network’s late-night coverage kicked off at 02:10 CET with the NFL Live Countdown. That opening segment pulled 0.08 million total viewers, including 0.02 million from the core target demographic, quotenmeter.de reported. Those figures translated to a 3.3 percent share of the total television market and 5.3 percent among younger viewers.
Late-Night Viewership Peaks During Patriots and Bears Clash
As the game between the New England Patriots and Chicago Bears got underway at 02:25 CET, overall television usage climbed significantly. First-half audiences hovered between 0.10 and 0.15 million viewers. In the demographic category covering ages 14 to 49, the broadcast peaked at 11.8 percent share, driven by roughly 0.04 million engaged viewers.
Viewership Rebounds in the Final Quarter
Viewership dipped slightly after halftime. Total reach fell to 0.09 million viewers starting at 03:45 CET during the third quarter. However, the audience rebounded as the game entered its final quarter at 04:20 CET, pushing total reach back up to 0.11 million viewers.
Market shares during this late stretch remained resilient. General audience shares landed at 5.6 and 7.0 percent across the final quarters. Meanwhile, the target demographic numbers climbed to 0.05 million viewers, yielding peak shares of 12.7 and 16.2 percent respectively.
Total Viewers and Demographic Shares by Time
- NFL Live Countdown (02:10 CET): 0.08 million total viewers (3.3% share); 0.02 million target demographic (5.3% share).
- First Half Peak (02:25 CET): 0.10 to 0.15 million total viewers; up to 7.7% overall share and 11.8% target demographic share.
- Third Quarter Dip (03:45 CET): 0.09 million total viewers (5.6% share); 0.40 million target demographic (12.7% share).
- Fourth Quarter Finish (04:20 CET): 0.11 million total viewers (7.0% share); 0.05 million target demographic (16.2% share).
Questions About the Night-Game Schedule
The performance metrics address questions regarding whether carrying the full slate of National Football League night games makes financial and ratings sense for the Cologne-based broadcaster. RTL expanded its editorial team and picked up rights for every night game this season, putting Thursday night contests squarely into the overnight rotation.
Questions and Answers About NFL Live on RTL
Which teams featured in the analyzed Thursday night broadcast?
The game featured the New England Patriots playing the Chicago Bears, starting at 02:25 CET.
Which research institutions provided the television measurement data?
The figures were compiled by AGF Videoforschung in cooperation with GfK using the videoSCOPE 1.3 standard across the German television panel.
How did the target demographic perform during the final quarter?
Viewership among adults aged 14 to 49 reached 0.05 million people starting at 04:20 CET, generating a peak market share of 16.2 percent.
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