NFL ratings continue to rebound on FOX, with the network scoring the league’s largest Week 3 audience in four years.
The Week 3 NFL national window, featuring Cowboys-Seahawks in 85% of markets, had a 12.7 rating and 22.2 million viewers on FOX — up 4% in ratings and viewership from last year (mostly Bengals-Packers: 12.2, 21.3M) and up 1% in both measures from 2016 (mostly Steelers-Eagles: 12.6, 22.0M), both on CBS.
The telecast delivered the largest Week 3 NFL audience in four years — since a Broncos-Seahawks Super Bowl rematch on CBS in 2014 (27.3M). It was also the highest rated Week 3 window since 2015.
The four-year high came despite unusually tough competition from the PGA Tour on NBC. Tiger Woods‘ victory in the Tour Championship — his first win in five years — averaged 5.89 million viewers, including 7.18 million during the late afternoon portion of the telecast. It peaked with 10.84 million from 5:45-6 PM ET.
Four of five NFL windows on FOX this season have increased.
The lone exception was Sunday’s early doubleheader window, which featured 49ers-Chiefs or Green Bay-Washington in nearly half the country. The telecast had an 8.2 rating and 13.8 million viewers, down 2% in ratings and 4% in viewership from last year (8.4, 14.4M) but up 2% and 6% respectively from 2016 (8.0, 13.1M).
In adults 18-49, the national window scored a 7.0 rating — up 6% from last year (6.6) but down a tick from ’16 (7.1). The early window had a 4.3 (-7%).
The full Week 3 NFL ratings chart is available here.
[Numbers from Nielsen via ShowBuzz Daily 9.25]
