With the playoffs starting tomorrow, FOX can once again claim the top spot as the highest rated of the NFL’s rightsholders.
FOX averaged a 10.5 rating and 17 million viewers for NFL coverage during the 2008 regular season, down 2% and 1% respectively from a 10.7 with 17.1 million in ’07. The 17.1 million viewers is the third-most ever for NFL coverage on FOX.
The 10.5 rating makes FOX the highest-rated of the five NFL broadcasters, beating second place NBC by 3% (10.5 to 10.2). This is the second straight year FOX has beaten the prime time NFL broadcast package; the network notes that “[p]rior to last season, no Sunday afternoon NFL broadcaster had ever beaten the prime-time broadcast package since its inception in 1970.”
The NFL on FOX pregame show, FOX NFL Sunday, averaged a 3.3/8 rating — up 6% from ’07, and 22% higher than the 2.7/7 average for The NFL Today on CBS.
