Fox Sports is certainly crowing about the just-completed 2011-12 NFL regular season where it saw the third consecutive year of increased ratings. This season, the NFL on Fox saw average ratings of 12.0 with a 24 share, up 2% from 2010’s 11.8/24. Fox averaged 20.1 million viewers tying its season high of 2010 for the most viewers for the series.
Fox says its 4:15 p.m. ET national window averaged an impressive 15.1/28 rating/share and 25.5 million viewers making it the most watched NFL window for a network. And the network hit record highs in key demographics in the 18-34 and 18-49 range.
I really don’t need to say any more about this. We go to the press release from Fox which explains the numbers.
NFL ON FOX POSTS HIGHEST RATING SINCE 1995 & TIES 2010 AS MOST-WATCHED SEASON EVER
FOX Is Only Full-Season NFL Carrier to Boast Year-to-Year Growth
Network Sees Ratings Increase for Third Consecutive Season – A First
AMERICA’S GAME OF THE WEEK on FOX Still No. 1 Show on TelevisionNew York & Los Angeles – Another exciting NFL regular-season is in the books and so is another sensational season of growth for the NFL on FOX.
Just when you thought that NFL ratings couldn’t get any higher, the 2011-12 NFL on FOX season averaged a 12.0/24 national household rating/share and is FOX Sports’ highest-rated NFL season in 16 years (12.5/29 in 1995), according to fast national ratings released by Nielsen Media Research, and marks ratings growth for the third consecutive year, a first for the NFC package since the 1970 merger. FOX is the only full-season NFL television carrier to boast a year-over-year ratings increase this season. In addition, audience for the NFL on FOX for 2011 averaged 20.1 million viewers, tying 2010 as FOX Sports’ most-watched NFL season ever.
Year-to-year, the NFL on FOX was +2% compared to 2010 (11.8/24), and since posting a 10.5 HH rating for the 2008 season, NFL on FOX ratings have grown +14% over the last three seasons (10.5 in 2008 to 12.0 in 2011). Average audience has increased 18% (17.0 million in ’08 vs. 20.1 million in 2011) over the same span.
FOX Sports’ coverage of AMERICA’S GAME OF THE WEEK national game on doubleheader dates averaged a 15.1/28 with 25.5 million viewers, maintaining its prestigious status as the highest-rated and most-watched show in all of television. This is the fourth straight year AMERICA’S GAME OF THE WEEK has been the No. 1 show in fourth-quarter. AMERICA’S GAME OF THE WEEK also ranks as television’s highest-rated show across every significant male and adult demographic category, including an eye-popping 9.3 rating among Adults 18-49, +39% over the highest-rated scripted series in primetime television (6.7 for “TWO and a half MEN”).
Like AMERICA’S GAME OF THE WEEK, the ratings performance in most adult and male demographics for the NFL on FOX overall this year are impressive, hitting 16-year highs in the Men 18-49 (9.8), Men 25-54 (11.0), Adults 18-34 (6.4) and Adults 18-49 (7.3) categories. Among Adults 25-54, the NFL on FOX averaged an all-time best 8.2 rating. Among Men 18-34, the most difficult demographic to reach in all of television, the NFL on FOX achieved a remarkable nine-year high, averaging an 8.4. The ability of the NFL on FOX to reach young male viewers is unmatched. On a gross ratings point basis, the NFL on FOX delivered far more Men 18-34 rating points this season than ABC, CBS, or NBC have delivered for the entire primetime season-to-date. FOX’s 8.4 M18-34 rating over 87 hours produces 730.8 GRP’s. By comparison, NBC’s 2.0 M18-34 rating over 316 hours of primetime produces 632.0 GRP’s.
FOX NFL SUNDAY also maintained its elite status as America’s most watched pregame show averaging a 3.4/8 (5.1 million viewers) for the entire 17-week season. It’s expected that those impressive figures should once again lead FOX NFL SUNDAY to dominate its competition once final ratings for other networks are tallied. THE OT postgame show continues to be a primetime force averaging a 7.6/13 and 12.9 million viewers, +4% over last year’s performance (7.3/13, 12.3 million) and ranks as the No. 22 show on television.
And more stuff is on the way before 3 p.m. ET.
That will do it.
