Broncos vs. Chargers earn second-highest TNF rating of all-time

Denver and San Diego are two teams that can light up the scoreboard and stir the curiosity of a football-loving nation.

Oct 24, 2014, 2:59 PM UTC

Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

On Thursday night, Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos beat the San Diego Chargers 35-21. The game drew plenty of eyeballs to the TV set, bringing in a rating of 13.2 and a 23 percent share among the 56 metered markets. The numbers are up 256 percent from last year's Week 8 game on Thursday night between the Carolina Panthers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, which saw a 3.7/6.

CBS contracted a joint-broadcast agreement with NFL Network for the first seven Thursday night games of the season and produced the two highest-rated TNF games in history per the metered markets. The only game doing better numbers than the Broncos and Chargers was the Week 2 matchup with the Baltimore Ravens hosting the Pittsburgh Steelers. That night, the broadcast did a 13.7 rating and 23 percent share.

The TNF schedule has been filled with blowouts this season, ranging from the Falcons' 56-14 win over the Buccaneers to the New York Giants crushing Washington 45-14. This Thursday's game was highly anticipated with Manning and Philip Rivers at the controls, and the interest remained throughout the evening. The rating peaked between 10:30 and 11 p.m. ET when the numbers hit 14.1/24.

With CBS Sports coming into the Thursday Night Football fold for the first time in 2014, ratings have been up across the board. Over the first six weeks of the 2014 package, the telecasts averaged a rating of 10 and 16.1 million viewers. These numbers are up 79 percent from last year, according to the Sporting News.

Still, TNF does not compare to Sunday Night Football on NBC. The games between the Giants and Washington, Colts and Texans and Jets and Patriots did lesser numbers than every SNF game since 2011. Regardless, the TNF package is highly lucrative. This year’s average of 16.1 million viewers outdraws the 2014 NBA Finals and the two previous World Series.

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