FOX Reigns with AMERICA’S GAME OF THE WEEK, TV’s No. 1 Show for 7th Consecutive Year

NFL 01/06/2016

The book on the 2015 NFL regular season is officially closed, and for the NFL on FOX, what a season it was, with AMERICA’S GAME OF THE WEEK reigning as television’s No. 1 show for the seventh straight season, posting its second most-watched ever and having FOX NFL SUNDAY, America’s top NFL pregame show for 22 consecutive seasons, record its best rating since 2004. Primary highlights follow:

AMERICA’S GAME OF THE WEEK capped the season by averaging an impressive 15.4/29, with 26.8 million viewers, continuing its run as the highest-rated and most-watched show in all of television for the seventh consecutive year (projected), according to Nielsen.
The NFL on FOX averaged a 12.0/25 household rating/share, with 20.745 million viewers across all games, second to only its record-setting 2013 (21.2 million) as the most-watched season since broadcasting NFL games in 1994. The 2015 NFL on FOX average audience of 20.745 million is an eye-opening +32% better than the FOX average 10 years ago (15.7 million).
FOX’s most-watched NFL seasons have come in the last seven years (2013 – 21.2 million; 2015 – 20.745; 2014 – 20.728; 2010 – 20.111 million; 2011 – 20.096 million; 2012 – 19.7 million; and 2009 – 19.1).
On the pregame front, FOX NFL SUNDAY continued to reign supreme, ranking No. 1 among all NFL pregame shows (projected) for the 22nd consecutive year, posting a 3.5/9 household rating/share, with 5.3 million viewers, matching its highest rating since 2004 (3.5 in 2010), and posting its most-watched season since 2010. Year-to-year, the show’s rating increased +9% (3.5 vs. 3.2), and +8% in audience (5.3 million vs. 4.9).
FOX NFL SUNDAY is projected to out-rate THE NFL TODAY by +40%, the biggest gap between the two Sunday afternoon pregame shows since 2004.
The broadcast television debut of FOX NFL KICKOFF proved another NFL on FOX highlight this season. Airing prior to FOX NFL SUNDAY at 11:00 AM ET on most FOX broadcast network stations and affiliates, the former FS1 show posted 1.2 million viewers, +127% over its cable performance in 2014. FOX NFL KICKOFF also provided FOX NFL SUNDAY a better lead-in as its audience showed a +17% year-over-year gain from 12:00 to 12:30 PM ET, and a +9% increase in viewership over 2014 for the full hour (4.9 million viewers).

Additional highlights and notes from regular-season game telecasts include:

AMERICA’S GAME OF THE WEEK in Week 8 which featured the Seattle Seahawks visiting the Dallas Cowboys that posted a huge 17.0/30 and 29.4 million viewers, the highest-rated NFL telecast on any network this season and the most-watched television program on any network that week.
A Week 15 singleheader, led by the Carolina Panthers holding off a memorable second-half comeback by the New York Giants en route to a 38-35 victory, delivered a 14.5/32 and 25 million viewers, and is FOX’s highest-rated NFL singleheader since 1997.
This season, FOX Sports commissioned Nielsen to study NFL Out-Of Home viewing on Sundays, and through Week 14 FOX averages a +19% lift among Persons 6+ (excluding the London Game window). Among younger viewers, the out-of-home lift is far more dramatic increasing +30% among Adults 18-34 and +29% among Men 18-34.

FOX Sports’ coverage of the NFL Playoffs begins Sunday, Jan. 10 at 4:00 PM ET with FOX NFL SUNDAY, followed by an NFC Wild Card match-up between the Green Bay Packers and Washington Redskins. FOX Sports continues with its coverage through the NFC Divisional rounds and the presentation of the NFC Championship.