Panthers, Bears draw surprising ratings in Week 10

Many believed Week 10’s primetime matchup between the Carolina Panthers and Chicago Bears was going to draw like a broken pencil. But it turns out the appeal was a bit sharper than anticipated.

Despite being the curtain jerker for what was dubbed as 2023’s worst slate of featured games, Thursday night’s showdown between the Panthers and Bears drew quite the number of eyes. According to Nielsen’s National TV Ratings, the broadcast averaged 9.56 million viewers—up 41 percent from last year’s Week 10 Thursday nighter.

Oh, and last year’s Week 10 Thursday nighter showcased the Panthers as well—in a 25-15 win over the Atlanta Falcons. The clash also garnered a bigger audience than the following TNF games from the 2022 season:

• Week 6: Washington Commanders at Chicago Bears
• Week 7: New Orleans Saints vs. Arizona Cardinals
• Week 9: Philadelphia Eagles vs. Houston Texans
• Week 14: Las Vegas Raiders vs. Los Angeles Rams
• Week 16: Jacksonville Jaguars vs. New York Jets

Not too shabby for a middle-of-the-season contest between a 1-7 and a 2-7 team, huh?