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The number of local television viewers who left the Buffalo Bills bandwagon Sunday was as large as the voters who abandoned former County Executive Chris Collins on Election Day.
The Bills’ 44-7 loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Channel 4 had a season-low 29.2 rating and 50 share of the audience despite the appearance of the Cowboy cheerleaders (I’m kidding. I just needed a picture to spice up the blog, so see right). Confession time: I also bailed in the fourth quarter to go to a movie, “Margin Call.”
The Bills games have been drawing ratings in the mid to high 30s recently.
The Cowboys’ margin of victory wasn’t the only factor in the low rating. The weather was also unseasonably warm for Nov. 13. And to put the rating in perspective, the Bills game will still be the top-rated TV show of the week in Western New York by far..
The one-sided loss makes it extremely unlikely the Bills will get a flex game on NBC’s Sunday Night Football schedule.
Let’s hope that Brian Williams won’t spend any more time with comedians on tonight’s edition of NBC’s “Rock Center.” Tina Fey’s appearance a week ago was just as weak and forced as Jon Stewart’s on premiere week.
Local viewers have flown away from ABC’s “Pan Am,” which is in danger of being canceled. It didn’t get a 5 rating Sunday night, playing opposite the New England Patriots-New York Jets game on NBC. On the other hand, ABC’s “Once Upon a Time” remains a local hit. It got another two-digit rating, a rarity for a new show these days.
pergament@buffnews.com
Alan Pergament was the television critic for The Buffalo News for 28 years. He currently is an adjunct professor at Buffalo State College and Medaille College, teaching courses in communications. He also writes a monthly column on the media for Buffalo Spree magazine.
I didn’t even turn on the game yesterday. I had a feeling that it would be “one of those games,” and decided to be productive outside, winterizing the garage some more and working in the yard raking leaves. I listened with headphones and knew by 1:15 that I made the right call.