This is going to be a Super Bowl season for Fox. It will air Super Bowl LI in Houston as well as back to having two NFC Divisional Playoff Games in January.
As usual, Fox will be the network of the NFC as it has dating back to 1994. It will have doubleheaders in Weeks 1, 4, 6, 8, 10, 13, 14, 16 and 17.
It will have a 102-game schedule. In Week 1, it will have the Chicago Bears at Houston Texans as part of a doubleheader to hype having the Super Bowl at NRG Stadium.
Once again, Fox will have cross-flex games or contests normally airing on CBS in order to balance the schedule and to allow for the best possible games to be broadcast in national windows. Games can be flexed twice in Weeks 5-9. Because Week 16 falls in Christmas Weekend, the flex won’t be in effect so the NFL will have the full flex starting a week early in Week 10 (normally it starts in Week 11).
Here’s the Fox announcement:
SUPER BOWL BOUND: FOX SPORTS ANNOUNCES SCHEDULE FOR 23rd NFL SEASONSeason Culminates with Exclusive Live Coverage of Super Bowl LI, FOX’s Seventh NFL Title Game
Regular Season Kicks off Week 1 with Television’s No. 1 show, AMERICA’S GAME OF THE WEEK – New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys
Sundays Begin with FOX NFL KICKOFF and FOX NFL SUNDAY, America’s Most-Watched NFL Pregame Show for 22 Straight SeasonsLos Angeles – FOX Sports begins its 23rd season as a Sunday afternoon broadcast television home of the National Football League today by announcing its 2016 regular-season schedule. The season culminates beneath falling confetti at Houston’s NRG Stadium following FOX Sports’ presentation of Super Bowl LI, the seventh NFL championship to be determined on FOX over the last 20 years.
The 2016 FOX NFL season follows a 2015 campaign that marked the network’s second most-watched season since it began broadcasting games in 1994, averaging a 12.0/25 household rating/share, with 20.745 million viewers across all games. AMERICA’S GAME OF THE WEEK averaged 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 sixth consecutive year, according to Nielsen. FOX NFL SUNDAY also continued to reign supreme in 2015, ranking No. 1 among all NFL pregame shows 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).
Presenting a schedule that includes 102 games, FOX NFL’s coverage is led by nine editions of AMERICA’S GAME OF THE WEEK, national doubleheader broadcasts. This season, AMERICA’S GAME OF THE WEEK debuts in Week 1 on Sunday, Sept.11, highlighted by an NFC East showdown in which the New York Giants travel to AT&T Stadium to face the division-rival Dallas Cowboys at 4:25 PM ET.
Additional AGOTW matchups include Dallas at San Francisco (Week 4); Dallas at Green Bay (Week 6); Arizona at Carolina (Week 8); Dallas at Pittsburgh (Week 10); the New York Giants at Pittsburgh (Week 13); Seattle at Green Bay (Week 14); and Arizona at Seattle (Week 16).
In Week 8, Cincinnati faces Washington at Wembley Stadium in London on Sunday, Oct. 30 at 9:30 AM ET, as FOX Sports once again televises the NFL’s United Kingdom International Series, beginning early in the morning as part of a special tripleheader that concludes with AMERICA’S GAME OF THE WEEK featuring a 2015 NFC Championship Game rematch between the Arizona Cardinals and Carolina Panthers at 4:25 PM ET.
In late November, there will be no love lost during the traditional FOX NFL Thanksgiving Day game as a fierce NFC East divisional clash between Washington and Dallas in Dallas, Thursday, Nov. 24 at 4:30 PM ET.
The FOX NFL schedule includes 12 appearances by quarterback Carson Palmer and the Arizona Cardinals, and nine appearances each by Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers, reigning NFL Most Valuable Player Cam Newton and the defending NFC Champion Carolina Panthers, Russell Wilson, Richard Sherman and the always entertaining Seattle Seahawks, and Eli Manning, the electrifying Odell Beckham Jr. and the New York Giants. Additionally, the newly-relocated Los Angeles Rams make 12 appearances on FOX this season.
Once playoff teams are determined, FOX Sports presents live postseason coverage that includes an NFC Wild Card Game, the NFC Divisional Playoffs, the NFC Championship Game and Super Bowl LI, the network’s seventh delivery of the NFL’s title game.
Each week, coverage begins with FOX NFL KICKOFF (11:00 AM – 12:00 PM ET/8:00 AM – 9:00 AM PT), leading into the award-winning FOX NFL SUNDAY (12:00-1:00 PM ET/9:00-10:00 AM PT), America’s most-watched pregame show for 22 straight seasons. Terry Bradshaw and Curt Menefee return as co-hosts alongside analysts Howie Long, Jimmy Johnson and Michael Strahan. Bradshaw, Menefee, Long, Johnson and Strahan are joined by NFL insider Jay Glazer and NFL rules analyst Mike Pereira. Since its premiere in September 1994, FOX NFL SUNDAY has won 20 Emmy Awards for its production and personalities, including four for Outstanding Studio Show.
The 2016 FOX NFL season begins with a preseason doubleheader, Sunday, Aug.28, highlighted by the first-ever game to be played at the Minnesota Vikings’ brand new U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. The Vikings host the San Diego Chargers at 1:00 PM ET on FOX. The back-end of the doubleheader pits the Arizona Cardinals against two-time defending NFL Defensive Player of the Year J.J. Watt, new quarterback Brock Osweiler and the Houston Texans at 4:00 PM ET.
2016 FOX NFL BROADCAST SCHEDULE
(ALL TIMES ET)Sunday, September 11
(FOX NFL SUNDAY Doubleheader)1:00 PM
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Atlanta Falcons
Chicago Bears at Houston Texans
Green Bay Packers at Jacksonville Jaguars
Minnesota Vikings at Tennessee Titans
Oakland Raiders at New Orleans Saints4:25 PM
New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys
Detroit Lions at Indianapolis ColtsSunday, September 18
1:00 PM
New Orleans Saints at New York Giants
Dallas Cowboys at Washington
San Francisco 49ers at Carolina Panthers4:05 PM
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Arizona Cardinals
Seattle Seahawks at Los Angeles RamsSunday, September 25
1:00 PM
Washington at New York Giants
Detroit Lions at Green Bay Packers
Minnesota Vikings at Carolina Panthers
Arizona Cardinals at Buffalo Bills4:05 PM
Los Angeles Rams at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
San Francisco 49ers at Seattle SeahawksSunday, October 2
(FOX NFL SUNDAY Doubleheader)1:00 PM
Detroit Lions at Chicago Bears
Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons
Seattle Seahawks at New York Jets4:25 PM
Dallas Cowboys at San Francisco 49ers
Los Angeles Rams at Arizona Cardinals
New Orleans Saints at San Diego ChargersSunday, October 9
1:00 PM
Philadelphia Eagles at Detroit Lions
Washington at Baltimore Ravens
Chicago Bears at Indianapolis Colts4:05 PM
Atlanta Falcons at Denver BroncosSunday, October 16
(FOX NFL SUNDAY Doubleheader)1:00 PM
Philadelphia Eagles at Washington
Los Angeles Rams at Detroit Lions
Carolina Panthers at New Orleans Saints
San Francisco 49ers at Buffalo Bills4:25 PM
Dallas Cowboys at Green Bay Packers
Atlanta Falcons at Seattle SeahawksSunday, October 23
1:00 PM
Minnesota Vikings at Philadelphia Eagles
Washington at Detroit Lions
New Orleans Saints at Kansas City Chiefs4:05 PM
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at San Francisco 49ers
San Diego Chargers at Atlanta FalconsSunday, October 30
(FOX NFL SUNDAY Tripleheader)9:30 AM
Washington at Cincinnati Bengals (London)1:00 PM
Green Bay Packers at Atlanta Falcons
Seattle Seahawks at New Orleans Saints
Detroit Lions at Houston Texans4:25 PM
Arizona Cardinals at Carolina PanthersSunday, November 6
1:00 PM
Philadelphia Eagles at New York Giants
Detroit Lions at Minnesota Vikings
Dallas Cowboys at Cleveland Browns4:05 PM
Carolina Panthers at Los Angeles Rams
New Orleans Saints at San Francisco 49ersSunday, November 13
(FOX NFL SUNDAY Doubleheader)1:00 PM
Atlanta Falcons at Philadelphia Eagles
Minnesota Vikings at Washington
Chicago Bears at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Los Angeles Rams at New York Jets
Green Bay Packers at Tennessee Titans4:25 PM
Dallas Cowboys at Pittsburgh Steelers
San Francisco 49ers at Arizona CardinalsSunday, November 20
1:00 PM
Chicago Bears at New York Giants
Arizona Cardinals at Minnesota Vikings
Buffalo Bills at Cincinnati Bengals
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Kansas City Chiefs4:05 PM
Miami Dolphins at Los Angeles RamsThursday, November 24
4:30 PM
Washington at Dallas CowboysSunday, November 28
1:00 PM
Arizona Cardinals at Atlanta Falcons
Los Angeles Rams at New Orleans Saints
San Francisco 49ers at Miami Dolphins
New York Giants at Cleveland Browns4:05 PM
Seattle Seahawks at Tampa Bay BuccaneersSunday, December 4
(FOX NFL SUNDAY Doubleheader)1:00 PM
San Francisco 49ers at Chicago Bears
Detroit Lions at New Orleans Saints
Los Angeles Rams at New England Patriots
Philadelphia Eagles at Cincinnati Bengals4:25 PM
New York Giants at Pittsburgh Steelers
Washington at Arizona Cardinals
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at San Diego ChargersSunday, December 11
(FOX NFL SUNDAY Doubleheader)1:00 PM
Washington at Philadelphia Eagles
Chicago Bears at Detroit Lions
San Diego Chargers at Carolina Panthers
New Orleans Saints at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Arizona Cardinals at Miami Dolphins
Minnesota Vikings at Jacksonville Jaguars4:25 PM
Seattle Seahawks at Green Bay Packers
Atlanta Falcons at Los Angeles RamsSunday, December 18
1:00 PM
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Dallas Cowboys
Detroit Lions at New York Giants
Green Bay Packers at Chicago Bears
Philadelphia Eagles at Baltimore Ravens4:05 PM
New Orleans Saints at Arizona Cardinals
San Francisco 49ers at Atlanta FalconsSaturday, December 24
(FOX NFL SUNDAY Doubleheader)1:00 PM
Washington at Chicago Bears
Minnesota Vikings at Green Bay Packers
Atlanta Falcons at Carolina Panthers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New Orleans Saints4:25 PM
Arizona Cardinals at Seattle Seahawks
San Francisco 49ers at Los Angeles RamsSunday, January 1
(FOX NFL SUNDAY Doubleheader)1:00 PM
Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles
New York Giants at Washington
Green Bay Packers at Detroit Lions
Chicago Bears at Minnesota Vikings
New Orleans Saints at Atlanta Falcons
Carolina Panthers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers4:25 PM
Arizona Cardinals at Los Angeles Rams
Seattle Seahawks at San Francisco 49ersSunday, January 8, 2017
NFC Wild Card Game (teams, site & time to be determined)Saturday, January 14, 2017
NFC Divisional Playoff Game (teams, site & time to be determined)
Sunday, January 15, 2017
NFC Divisional Playoff Game (teams, site & time to be determined)Sunday, January 22, 2017
NFC Championship Game (teams, site & time to be determined)Sunday, February 5, 2017
Super Bowl LI (NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas)
And that will do it.
