Fox Sees Best Viewership Since It Began Airing the NFL in 1994

Cue the music.

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Fox Sports has announced that the viewership for its 20th season of broadcasting the NFL was the best viewership ever. Games averaged 21.2 million viewers for the 2013 season, breaking the previous record of 20.1 million set back in 2010. In addition, the ratings at 12.5 ties its best ever ratings dating back to 1995 which is the network’s second year of televising NFL games.

Fox is also crowing about its ratings for the late 4:25 p.m. ET window which averaged a 15.9/29 with 27.2 million viewers.

And Fox points out that Fox NFL Sunday finished with a 3.4/8 rating.

We have the official Fox Sports press release for you.

IN YEAR 20, NFL ON FOX POSTS MOST-WATCHED SEASON EVER

Ties 1995 as Highest-Rated NFL on FOX Season;
America’s Game of the Week Remains TV’s No. 1 Show
Results Cap Banner Year of Across-the-Board Growth

New York – The 20^th NFL on FOX regular season concluded Sunday (12/29) and it is officially the most-watched since FOX began broadcasting NFL games in 1994, with an average audience of 21.2 million viewers, eclipsing 2010 as the most-watched NFL on FOX season ever (20.1 million) by 5% and ties 1995 as the highest-rated NFL on FOX season ever (12.5), according to Nielsen Media Research. Reflecting a recent trend, FOX’s four most-watched NFL seasons have come in the last four years (2013 – 21.2 million; 2010 – 20.111 million; 2011 – 20.096 million; and 2012 – 19.7 million).

NFL on FOX 2013 (12.5/25, 21.2 million viewers) marks a +6% household ratings and an 8% audience increase over last year (11.8/24, 19.7 million). Putting the remarkable recent growth of the NFL on FOX in perspective, this year’s average is +19% over what it delivered five years ago (2008 – 10.5/22- 17.0 million viewers) and +21% better than what it delivered 10 years ago (2003 – 10.3/23 – 15.6 million viewers).

The NFL on FOX’s AMERICA’S GAME OF THE WEEK national games finished off the season averaging a sensational 15.9/29, with 27.2 million viewers, and continues to rank as the most-watched show on television in households and all key male and adult demographics. This season for AMERICA’S GAME OF THE WEEK is also record-setting as it is now FOX’s highest-rated and most-watched on record, eclipsing the previous national game mark set in 2009 (15.5/29, 26.2 million viewers). AMERICA’S GAME OF THE WEEK finished +7% in rating and +10% in audience over last year (14.8/26, 24.8 million viewers).

The NFL on FOX also posted noteworthy increases among female viewers this season, including women 18-34 (+8%, 4.3 vs. 4.0), women 18-49 (+7%, 4.8 vs. 4.5) and women 25-54 (+10%, 5.7 vs. 5.2). FOX’s 2013 season average among women 18-49 ties as the highest-rated ever, while women 25-54 ranks as the network’s best ever. The strong female growth enabled FOX to post gains in every important adult demographic: adults 18-34, +2%; adults 18-49, +1% and adults 25-54, +3%.

FOX NFL SUNDAY, America’s most-watched pregame show since its 1994 debut, delivered a 3.4/8, with season-high 5.5 million viewers for its final installment of the 2013 campaign on Sunday, and on the year averaged 3.2/8 with 4.8 million viewers, up +3% in rating and +4% in audience over last year (3.1/8, 4.6 million viewers).

The conclusion of the 2013 NFL on FOX regular season caps a historic year of growth for FOX Sports, and the premier events it broadcasts. Once the final numbers for all networks are calculated, FOX Sports is expected to hold the distinction for being the No. 1 network for sports for the 17^th straight year, a title it has held since 1997. Highlights in 2013 include:

Most-watched season in NFL On FOX history

AMERICA’S GAME OF THE WEEK currently the No. 1 show in all of television for the fifth straight year

Viewership growth for all of MLB On FOX’s jewel events: World Series, LCS, and All-Star Game

Viewership growth for year two of FOX COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Five-year rating and viewership highs for the Daytona 500, including +24% ratings growth over 2012

The successful launch of FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2, with Fox Sports 1 viewership to date up +20% on a total day basis and +94% in primetime compared to SPEED over same time period in 2012.