Considering the pedigree of the teams involved, it should be no surprise that Sunday’s 49ers/Cowboys clash was a strong draw.
The Week 1 NFL national window, featuring 49ers/Cowboys in 89% of markets, earned a 17.4 overnight rating on FOX Sunday afternoon — down 2% from coverage featuring Packers/49ers last year (17.8) and up 1% from coverage featuring 49ers/Packers in 2012 (17.2). Keep in mind that the 49ers led 21-3 after the first quarter.
The 17.4 overnight is the second-highest ever for a Week 1 game on FOX, trailing only last year. The network’s three highest Week 1 overnights have taken place in the past three years.
The national window, as should be expected, was easily the top NFL telecast of Week 1.
Earlier in the day, regional action featuring Saints/Falcons in 49% of markets drew a 9.4 overnight — down 8% from coverage featuring the same match-up last year (10.2) and coverage featuring Washington/Saints in 2012 (10.2).
(Sun. overnights from Sports Business Daily)
