The final day of the NFL regular season delivered the customary massive audiences, though with FOX and CBS cannibalizing each other no game hit the heights of recent weeks.
FOX scored the largest Nielsen-measured audience of Week 18 with a 10.8 rating and 21.73 million viewers for the second half of its doubleheader (Dallas-Washington in most markets), up 6% in ratings and viewership from last year featuring the same matchup (10.2, 20.51M). Viewership was the highest for a game in the final week of the season since 2020.
The concurrent late window on CBS averaged a 10.4 and 21.00 million, up a whopping 44% and 53% respectively from last year (mostly Giants-Eagles: 7.3, 13.70M). The two late windows combined for 42.73 million viewers, up 25% from 34.20 million last year and the highest yet for the season-ending late window.
NBC’s Sunday Night Football, a battle for the AFC East crown between the Bills and Dolphins, averaged an 11.3 and 21.18 million — down 5% and 6% respectively from Lions-Packers last year (11.9, 22.51M).
Rounding out the NFL slate, the early doubleheader windows averaged a 6.5 and 11.78 million on CBS and a 6.1 and 11.30 million on FOX. The CBS window plunged nearly 50% from last year, when coverage featured Patriots-Bills in Buffalo’s first game since the collapse of Damar Hamlin (11.8, 22.73M). While the FOX window increased 20%, overall viewership for the early games declined 28% (from 32.15 to 23.07 million).
Shifting to college football, the South Dakota State-Montana FCS National Championship averaged a 0.6 and 1.04 million on ABC — flat in ratings and down 3% in viewership from South Dakota State-North Dakota State last year (0.6, 1.07M). Viewership was the lowest for the FCS title game since 2019 on ESPN2 (1.00M).
In other action, final round coverage of the PGA Tour’s season-opening Tournament of Champions averaged a 0.54 and 905,000 on NBC and a 0.40 and 707,000 on Golf Channel. The NBC window declined from last year (vs. 0.58, 950K), while Golf Channel’s coverage posted an increase (vs. 0.37, 603K).
A Mississippi State-South Carolina women’s game topped the college basketball slate with a 0.23 and 391,000 on ESPN, followed by LSU-Mississippi at a 0.19 and 315,000. Leading out of the two women’s games, SMU-Memphis topped the men’s slate with a 0.13 and 241,000.
Sunday, January 7 sports ratings
