FOX has yet to experience a decline for NFL coverage this season.
The Week 4 NFL national window, featuring Eagles/Broncos, earned a 16.1 final rating and 27.0 million viewers on FOX last Sunday — up 20% in ratings and 21% in viewership from coverage featuring Saints/Packers last year (13.4, 22.3M), and up 18% and 17%, respectively, from coverage featuring Broncos/Packers in 2011 (13.6, 23.0M).
The telecast ranks second for the season in ratings and viewership, trailing only the Week 1 national window on FOX (16.6, 28.5M).
Earlier in the day, regional action featuring Seahawks/Texans drew a 9.4 and 15.3 million viewers, up 8% in ratings and 11% in viewership from coverage featuring 49ers/Jets last year (8.7, 13.8M), and up 32% and 38%, respectively, from coverage on CBS in 2011 (7.1, 11.1M).
So far this season, all six NFL telecast windows on FOX have had an increase in ratings and viewership over last year. Every other network has had at least one decline, with NBC suffering four declines in five telecasts.
According to Sports Business Daily, FOX has averaged a 12.7 rating and 21.4 million viewers for NFL coverage through Week 4 — up 10% in ratings and 13% in viewership from last year (11.5, 18.9M)
(Week 4 ratings/season avg. from Sports Business Daily [1], [2])
