Fox Sports’ lowest rated NFL season in eight years ended with a pair of increases.
The Week 17 NFL national window on FOX, featuring N.Y. Giants/Washington in 76% of markets, had a 12.3 final rating and 22.4 million viewers Sunday — up 3% in ratings and 7% in viewership from coverage featuring Seahawks/Cardinals last year (12.0, 20.9M) but down 21% in both measures from coverage featuring Lions/Packers in 2014 (15.6, 28.5M).
It was just the fourth NFL national window all season to post an increase in ratings or viewership (18 telecasts), and the first to do so since Week 10.
Earlier in the day, regional action featuring Cowboys/Eagles in 79% of markets had a 9.7 and 17.0 million — up 7% in ratings and 13% in viewership from last year (9.0, 15.0M) but down 8% and 6% respectively from 2014 (10.5, 18.0M), both of which also featured Dallas. In a season where every Cowboys game either aired nationally or was the most-distributed game in its window, Sunday’s telecast was the lowest rated and least-watched to feature “America’s team.” Keep in mind Dallas mostly played its reserves and the Eagles were out of contention.
The Cowboys’ final eight games this season, each of which aired either nationally or in at least 70% of markets, posted an increase in ratings and viewership over last year. By comparison, five of the first eight windows to feature the team declined.
Overall, FOX averaged a 10.9 rating and 19.4 million viewers for its NFL regular season coverage — down 9% in ratings and 6% in viewership from both last year and 2014 (12.0, 20.7M). That does not include its 9:30 AM ET game from London in Week 8. This season ranks as the lowest rated on FOX since 2008 (10.5) and the least-watched since 2009 (19.1M).
The nine “America’s Game of the Week” telecasts averaged a 13.9 (-10%) and 24.6 million (-8%), the lowest figures for the network’s late doubleheader window* since 2008 (13.7, 22.3M).
* It was not clear which Week 16 game was designated “America’s Game of the Week.” FOX assigned its top broadcast team to the early window, which had a 10.0 rating and 18.4 million viewers. The late window had an 8.1 and 15.4 million.
(Wknd. numbers via ShowBuzz Daily 1/4, with additional information from Fox Sports)
