The city’s thirst for the Seahawks has been unmistakable all preseason, but the TV ratings from the Seahawks’ 12-7 season-opening win at Carolina on Sunday provide more tangible evidence.
The game, televised by Q13 Fox, drew a 65 percent share, meaning 65 percent of all households in the Seattle area watching TV were watching the Seahawks. The game also drew a 31.4 rating, which is the percentage of all households with a TV.
For comparison, last year’s opener drew a 57 share while posting a 27.5 rating. But that game was an afternoon kickoff, which tend to draw better ratings than 10 a.m. starts.
The highest-rated 10 a.m. game last year drew a 56 share and a 27.1 rating when the Seahawks played at the Dolphins on Nov. 25 (Last year’s playoff game at Atlanta, which was also a 10 a.m. kickoff, drew a 79 share and 45.6 rating, which made it the most-watched TV show in Seattle since the 2006 Super Bowl).
The high ratings continue a trend that has occurred throughout the buildup to the season, from record season-ticket renewals to sold-out training camps to staggeringly high ratings for exhibition games.