Any league expanding its season — or increasing its "inventory," in industry jargon — has to wonder if it's watering down consumer, and thus advertiser, demand. But with NFL TV ratings this season up across the board, consumers only seem to want more. After ESPN's Oct. 5 Green Bay Packers-Minnesota Vikings game became the highest-rated TV cable show ever, ESPN's New England Patriots-New Orleans Saints game Monday seems poised to break that record: Monday's game drew a 14.4 overnight rating — translating to 14.4% of households in 56 urban TV markets — compared to a 14.2 overnight for the Oct. 5 game.

No one should base long-term assumptions about ratings on a single season. This season, the NFL is likely benefiting from slumps in network ratings, which might not continue. And the league has been lucky. It can't count on a mediagenic 40-year-old, such as Brett Favre, popping up as a TV star very often.

But its big ratings have come even without teams in big markets — New York, Chicago, Washington — having banner years. Keep watching, Nielsen households, and the NFL could end up with really long seasons.