Tennessee Titans Ratings Steady Sunday

NASHVILLE, TN — Even as local news stations went to live coverage of the tragic shooting at an Antioch church and against the backdrop of player protests, which many observers, including President Donald Trump, said would result in low ratings, the Tennessee Titans win over the Seattle Seahawks Sunday scored a typically strong ratings number.

Mark Binda, programming director at Nashville CBS affiliate WTVF, told Patch that the game scored a 21.1 overnight rating, "in line with the first two weeks performance."

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Traditionally, ratings are lower for 3 p.m. kickoffs than for the noon start and games that broadcast on Fox usually score lower than those on CBS, which usually carries AFC games. In addition, the game faced unusual competition for eyeballs with other local stations carrying live coverage from the scene at Burnette Chapel Church of Christ as opposed to the standard NFL counter-programming of infomercials and reruns.

The Titans and Seahawks remained in the locker room during the singing of the national anthem Sunday as a show of solidarity with other player protests, which began last season with Colin Kaepernick taking a knee during "The Star-Spangled Banner" to bring attention to police violence and racism. The protests have sparked backlash, including from Trump, who said at a rally in Huntsville, Ala. Friday that players who kneel during the anthem should be fired. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Sunday that players "can do free speech on their own time" and "They have the right to have the First Amendment off the field."

Meghan Linsey, who sang the anthem at Nissan Stadium Sunday, took a knee at the end of the song.

The Titans return to action Sunday with an AFC South divisional match-up against the Texans in Houston at noon on CBS.