FOX ended the NFL regular season with its best Week 17 overnight in a dozen years.
The Week 17 NFL national window on FOX, featuring Lions/Packers in 87% of markets, drew a 16.9 overnight rating — up 11% from coverage featuring Packers/Bears last year (15.2), up 3% from coverage featuring Packers/Vikings in 2012 (16.4), and according to Sports Business Daily the network’s top Week 17 overnight since 2002.
The 16.9 overnight tied for ninth out of the 18 NFL national window telecasts this season, right in the middle of the pack. Head-to-head, it crushed competing coverage on CBS that featured the Panthers/Falcons NFC South play-in game (6.7).
The national window was the top telecast of Week 17, marking the first time since 2010 that NBC did not take top honors on the last day of the season. In each of the intervening three years, NBC aired the top NFC matchup of the day — the Cowboys in a winner-take-all game against an NFC East rival. The NFL gave NBC an AFC game this year, leaving the top NFC game to FOX.
The early doubleheader window, featuring Cowboys/Washington in 69% of markets, drew a 10.5 overnight — even with last year and down 3% from 2012 (10.8).
(Sun. numbers via Sports Business Daily)
