The NFL kickoff game on NBC between the New England Patriots and Kansas City Chiefs was down in the overnight ratings compared to the 2016 season opener.
According to Nielsen data, the Patriots-Chiefs game averaged a 14.6 rating in metered market households. That is down approximately 12% from the 2016 game, which drew a 16.5 rating. This is also the second year in a row the opening game has been down, with 2016 slipping from the 17.7 rating drawn in 2015. The drop comes as ratings for NFL football were down last season to the tune of 8% per game on average.