FOX NFL ratings held up well last weekend, NFL Network scored a big increase for its Saturday night game, and Premier League viewership neared a season-high.
FOX NFL Ratings Good Despite Dip
Last Sunday’s Week 15 NFL singleheader window, which featured Packers-Panthers in 54% of markets, had a 10.6 rating and 18.1 million viewers on FOX — down 2% in ratings and 3% in viewership from last year (10.8, 18.7M) and down 27% and 28% respectively from 2015 (mostly Panthers-Giants: 14.5, 25.0M).
Despite the drop, it was the highest rated and most-watched singleheader since Week 4 (11.5, 20.0M).
Saturday NFL Up Big on NFL Network
NFL Network scored a 4.0 rating and 7.0 million viewers for a special Saturday night Chargers-Chiefs game last weekend, up 60% in ratings and 59% in viewership from Jets-Dolphins last year (2.5, 4.4M) but down 7% and 6% respectively from Jets-Cowboys in 2015 (4.3, 7.4M). Of the six NFL Network windows that can be compared to last year (not counting simulcasts), it was the third to post an increase.
Earlier in the day, Bears-Lions had a 3.1 and 5.2 million; there was no comparable window last year.
EPL Ratings Near Season-High
Last Saturday’s Tottenham-Manchester City English Premier League match delivered a 0.7 rating and 1.06 million viewers on the NBC broadcast network, the second-largest EPL audience of the season. Manchester United-Leicester City in week three holds the top spot (1.07M).
In other action last weekend, Chelsea-Southampton led the cable slate with 432,000 viewers on NBCSN Saturday morning. That was followed by the Sunday morning doubleheader of Bournemouth-Liverpool (400k) and West Brom-Manchester United (386K). There is no relevant comparison to week eighteen last year, which consisted of Boxing Day and weekday matches.
[Wknd. numbers via ShowBuzz Daily 12.19]
