FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – With a 23-22 victory over the Chicago Bears Thursday night, the Patriots are off to a 2-0 preseason start for the seventh time under head coach Bill Belichick. The team's success reflected in the local ratings, as WBZ's local broadcast was the most-watched program in the Boston market.
The game garnered a household rating of 12.3, a market share of 22 and averaged 396,500 viewers, peaking at 8:15 p.m. with 455,600 viewers. WBZ's Thursday night broadcast topped both the household ratings and the market share, defeating coverage of the Olympic Games, which garnered a 10.5 rating with a 21 share, which were highlighted by Jamaica's Usain Bolt winning the gold medal in the 200m.
Thursday's broadcast marks the second consecutive week that a Patriots preseason game has topped the Boston ratings amongst non-Olympic programming, following up on last week's 34-22 victory over New Orleans that brought in a 10.5 rating and an 18.5 market share.
The Patriots will embark on their first road trip this week to take on the Carolina Panthers on Friday, Aug. 26 at 7:30 p.m. The game will be televised in Boston on the Patriots preseason flagship station, WBZ Channel 4. Dan Roche will be joined by former Patriots tight end Christian Fauria in the broadcast booth, while former Patriots linebacker Matt Chatman and WBZ's Steve Burton provide commentary from the sideline. Patriots Football Weekly's beat writers Paul Perillo and Andy Hart will also provide insight and analysis.
TOP-RATED PROGRAMS THURSDAY NIGHT IN THE BOSTON MARKET
| Program | Network |
Household Rating | Market Share |
Viewers |
| Patriots vs. Bears | WBZ | 12.3 | 22 | 395,500 |
| Olympic Primetime Coverage | WHDH | 10.5 | 21 | 349,300 |
