A matchup of the Super Bowl champions and the #1 pick gave FOX its best NFL preseason ratings in six years.
Thursday’s Eagles-Browns NFL preseason game drew a 4.2 rating and 6.52 million viewers on FOX, marking the network’s highest rated and second-most watched preseason game since 2012 (49ers-Broncos: 4.5, 7.1M). A 2016 Cardinals-Texans game had slightly more viewers (6.68M).
Outside of the NFL Hall of Fame Game, the Browns 5-0 win was the most-watched weeknight preseason telecast on any network in four years, since Cleveland-Washington on ESPN four years ago (4.5, 6.90M).
Not surprisingly, ratings increased 367% and viewership 374% from the comparable window on NFL Network last year (Dolphins-Eagles: 0.9, 1.4M). Versus Falcons-Dolphins on NBC two years ago, ratings and viewership increased 11% and 10% respectively from a 3.8 and 5.95 million.
All three Browns games this preseason have posted an increase over the comparable window last year. Only one non-Browns game has increased, Raiders-Rams on NFL Network last Saturday.
Eagles-Browns ranks as the highest rated game of the preseason, edging the Bears-Ravens NFL Hall of Fame Game on NBC (4.1). This year marks the first time since 2012 that any preseason game has outrated the Hall of Fame Game. Keep in mind the Hall of Fame Game still had a larger audience (6.77M).
Most-Watched NFL Preseason Games, Past Five Years
Excludes Hall of Fame Game
[Numbers from Nielsen via Programming Insider 8.24]
