In a week when every other NFL broadcaster posted an increase, FOX incurred declines for both games of its Sunday doubleheader.
The Week 14 NFL national window, featuring Seahawks/Packers in 67% of markets, had a 14.4 final rating and 25.3 million viewers on FOX Sunday afternoon — down 13% in ratings and viewership from Packers/Cowboys last year (16.5, 28.9M) and down 8% and 3%, respectively, from coverage featuring Seahawks/Eagles in 2014 (15.6, 25.9M).
The telecast ranks as the lowest rated national window in Week 14 of the season since 2011 (12.7) and the least-watched since 2012 (24.5M). Typically the highest rated and most-watched NFL telecast of a given week — though this week was an exception — the national window has now hit multi-year lows nine times this season.
As mentioned above, “America’s Game of the Week” was not the top sporting event of the weekend — trailing NBC’s Sunday Night Football (14.9, 26.5M). Not including the long Thanksgiving holiday weekend, Week 14 marked just the third time this season that the national window failed to top the charts.
For the season, Sunday’s telecast ranks eighth in ratings and viewership among all NFL telecasts and third with Cowboys games excluded.
Earlier Sunday, regional action featuring Washington/Philadelphia had a 7.5 and 12.3 million — down 16% in ratings and 19% in viewership from last year (8.9, 15.2M) and down 13% and 10% respectively from 2014 (8.6, 13.7M).
FOX was the only network to post a decline in Week 14, with NBC, CBS and ESPN each seeing gains for their four windows.
(Wknd. numbers via ShowBuzz Daily 12/13)
