Ratings Roundup: NFL on Fox Averages 19,422,000 Viewers During Regular Season; Largest Viewership Increase on Any Network This Season

Ratings Roundup is a rundown of recent rating news and is derived from press releases and reports around the industry. In this week’s edition, FOX Sports AMERICAS GAME OF THE WEEK is marked the most watched program in TV for the 14th year, CBS Sports grabs the most watched NFL regular season in seven years, and more.

New Fox NFL Team Drives Largest Viewership Increase on Any Network This Season

America’s Game of the Week

With an average of 24,130,000 viewers, AMERICA’S GAME OF THE WEEK is projected to finish as the most-watched program in all of television for the 14th straight year.

• FOX’s best season for AGOTW since 2019
• Up +4% over last year’s average (23,231,000)

Fox NFL 2022 Regular Season

For the regular season, FOX NFL averaged 19,422,000 viewers delivering the #1 NFL package on television

• Ranks as FOX’s Best NFC package since 2016
• Up +4% over last year’s average (18,631,000) – the league’s largest year-over-year increase on any network this season

Fox NFL Sunday and FOX NFL Kickoff Deliver Best Season Since 2019

Fox NFL Sunday

With an average of 4,52,000 viewers, FOX NFL SUNDAY makes its 29th consecutive season as the number 1 NFL pregame show.

• Show scores best full-season average since 2019
• Up +2% over las season (4,473,000)

FOX NFL Kickoff

With an average of 1,304,000 viewers, FOX NFL KICKOFF delivers its best full-season average since 2019

• Up +9% over last season (1,201,000)

Historic First Season of Exclusive Thursday Night Football on Prime Video Delivers Younger Audiences, Increased Engagement

The first season of exclusive Thursday Night Football coverage on Prime Video delivered a historic run of firsts, streaming milestones, and sports media breakthroughs.

According to Nielsen Media Research, the inaugural season of TNF on Prime Video featured the most streamed NFL contests ever and attracted audiences that were considerably younger, watched more minutes of the game, and commanded higher household incomes than NFL viewers on broadcast and cable platforms. Thursday Night Football finished the season with the youngest median age of any NFL broadcast package since 2013 and enjoyed a double-digit jump over the previous season among hard-to-reach P18-34-year-old viewers.

“Amazon has earned a strong reputation for making big bets, and given the unprecedented scale of this challenge and the hallowed place that NFL coverage holds among millions of fans, the launch of Thursday Night Football ranks high among our most ambitious enterprises,” says Jay Marine, vice president, Prime Video, and global head of sports. “We are only at the beginning of a long-term mission, but are ecstatic with the results and achievements of this first season, bringing millions of viewers to Prime Video every week.”

“We are incredibly proud of our inaugural exclusive season of TNF, and gratified by the positive response from sports fans, especially hard-to-reach younger fans,” says Marie Donoghue, vice president of global sports video, Amazon. “Along with a top-notch game broadcast, fans are increasingly looking for fresh voices, optionality, and personalization, all of which we delivered, and will continue to build upon in the coming seasons.”

Each Thursday throughout the 2022 season, Prime Video presented a best-in-class NFL presentation with Al Michaels, Kirk Herbstreit, and Kaylee Hartung handling game coverage, as well as unprecedented ways for fans to tailor their viewing experience with multiple alternate streams, instant access to Next Gen Stats powered by AWS, and options such as “Rapid Recap.” The TNF on Prime Video pregame and postgame talent—including host Charissa Thompson, Tony Gonzalez, all-star rookies Ryan Fitzpatrick, Richard Sherman, and Andrew Whitworth, and contributors Taylor Rooks and Michael Smith—made an instant connection with fans, helping to drive more than 285 million video views across TNF’s social channels throughout the year.

Below, please find some Prime Video viewership highlights from the first of 11 seasons as the exclusive home of Thursday Night Football. These figures are inclusive of viewership from out of home, over the air and NFL+.

• According to Amazon’s first-party viewership measurement, Thursday Night Football on Prime Video averaged 11.3 million viewers (AMA) during the 2022 season.
• According to Nielsen Media Research figures alone, Thursday Night Football on Prime Video averaged 9.58 million viewers per game (including OTA and OOH) during the 2022 season.
  • Thursday Night Football’s average audience crossed the 10-million mark six times during the 2022 season, ranking TNF games among the most watched events in all of television.
  • According to Nielsen, the 15-game average of each TNF stream’s peak viewership was 11.30 million.
• Throughout the 2022 season, fans watching TNF on Prime Video held a median age of 47 years old, which is seven years younger than the average median age of viewers watching the NFL on linear TV.

• TNF on Prime Video finished the season with the lowest median age for a full-season slate of games since 2013, and registered the largest median age gap on record between a stand-alone NFL package and the rest of the NFL packages.

Additional highlights include:

Double-Digit Gains in Viewership Among P18 – 34

• The average viewership of TNF on Prime Video among P18-34 was 2.11 million, up +11% compared to 2021 on FOX, NFLN + PV (1.90 million).
• Among P18-34, TNF won the night all 15 times across broadcast and cable programming throughout the 2022 season.
  • TNF won the week in the P18-34 demographic four times during the 2022 season.
• Throughout the 2022 season, 22% of TNF’s viewers were in the P18-34 demographic, compared to 14% of viewers watching the NFL on linear networks. Throughout the fall season, only 7% of viewers watching prime time on linear are in the P18-34 demographic.

Record-Setting Gains in Viewership Among Men 18 – 34

• Among M18-34, the 2022 TNF on Prime Video season finished up +18% vs. 2021, registering the largest year-over-year jump in that demo for an NFL package since 2014.
• TNF games, The TNF Postgame, TNF Nightcap and TNF Tonight were the 1^st-, 2^nd-, 4^th-, and 5^th-ranked shows on average across broadcast and cable among M18-34 viewers on Thursdays throughout the fall season.

Strong Viewership Among P18 – 49

• The average viewership of TNF on Prime Video among P18-49 was 4.70 million viewers.
• Among P18-49, TNF won the night all 15 times across broadcast and cable programming throughout the 2022 season.
  • Throughout the 2022 season, TNF’s P18-49 viewership crossed the 5-million mark four times.
• Throughout the 2022 season, 49% of TNF’s viewers were in the P18-49 demographic, versus 35% of viewers watching the NFL on linear. 22% of viewers watching prime-time television on linear are in the P18-49 demographic.

TNF Outperforms Prime-Time Linear Programming this Fall Season

• In its first season exclusively on a streaming service, Thursday Night Football on Prime Video was the most watched program on Thursday nights 13 of 15 times this season, outperforming all head-to-head broadcast and cable programming among total viewers P2+.

Thursday Night Football Leads in Viewer Engagement

• TNF on Prime Video viewers devoted 85 Average Minutes Watched per game this season, nine minutes longer (+12 %) when compared to viewers of linear NFL telecasts (one-minute qualifier, P2+).

Thursday Night Football Pregame and Postgame Coverage Resonates with Fans

• Despite no lead-in programming, TNF Tonight attracted an average audience (P2+) of 1.12 million viewers throughout the 2022 season; 229,000 among P18-34; and 158,000 among M18-34; 519,000 among P18-49.
• Throughout the 2022 season, The TNF Postgame Show attracted an average audience (P2+) of 3.32 million viewers; 816,000 among P18-34; 568,000 among M18-34; and 1.87 million among P18-49.
  • Throughout the fall season, The TNF Postgame Show ranks 2nd among prime-time linear programming on Thursdays in the P18-34 demographic.
• Throughout the 2022 season, TNF Nightcap attracted an average audience (P2+) of 1.68 million viewers; 431,000 among P18-34; 302,000 among M18-34; and 987,000 among P18-49.

Thursday Night Football Viewers Command Higher Household Incomes

• According to Nielsen, throughout the 2022 season, TNF on Prime Video viewers earned a Median Household Income of $98,500, which is 19% higher than audiences watching the NFL on linear networks ($82,800).

CBS Sports Delivers Its Most-Watched NFL Regular Season in Seven Years, Averaging 18.487 Million Viewers

THE NFL TODAY Scored its Most-Watched Regular Season in Six Years

 The NFL ON CBS delivered record-setting viewership across platforms during the regular season. CBS Sports averaged 18.487 million viewers and scored its most-watched NFL regular season in seven years. Viewers consumed 105.2 billion minutes watching the NFL ON CBS during the regular season.

Led by the strength of the 4:25 PM slot, the NFL ON CBS national game averaged 23.495 million viewers for its 10 Sunday afternoon windows which is more than any sports, entertainment or news series in primetime on any network.

Paramount+, featuring live NFL ON CBS local market games, scored its most-steamed NFL regular-season ever and recorded double-digit growth in households, minutes and Average Minute Audience (AMA).

“NFL ON CBS” NATIONAL GAME LEADS VIEWERSHIP IN WEEK 18

CBS Sports’ Week 18 national game window, with Patriots-Bills as the high-coverage game, averaged 22.728 million viewers, up +35% versus last year and the Network’s most-watched final week game window in 11 years. It also marked the most-watched NFL game window on any network in Week 18.

Paramount+ delivered its most-streamed final regular-season weekend ever and scored double-digit year-over-year growth in households, minutes and Average Minute Audience (AMA) versus Week 18 last year.

“THE NFL TODAY” SCORES ITS BEST REGULAR SEASON IN SIX YEARS

THE NFL TODAY, CBS Sports’ pregame show, registered its most-watched regular season in six years, averaging 3.345 million viewers for its regular Noon shows and up +8% versus last year. That +8% increase for THE NFL TODAY is the largest year-over-year increase for any NFL pregame show on any network this year.

Paramount+ had its most-streamed season ever for THE NFL TODAY with double-digit year-over-year growth.

NBC’S “Sunday Night Football” Concludes Season on Pace to be TV’s #1 Primetime Show for Unprecedented 12^th Consecutive Year – Doubling Prior Record

With Sunday night’s down-to-the-wire Lions-Packers matchup, NBC Sports concluded its 17th season of Sunday Night Football, topping all primetime television series in the fall and once again pacing to finish as primetime’s #1 TV show in all key metrics for an unprecedented 12th consecutive year. NBC’s SNF, in the most competitive time slot in media, extended its record for the most consecutive years atop the charts (since 1950) and now doubles the show with the second-longest run atop primetime:

Most Consecutive Years, #1 Ranked Show in Primetime, Since 1950

• 12 years in a row – Sunday Night Football (2011-12 through 2022-23; on pace)
• 6 years in a row – American Idol (2005-06 through 2010-11)
• 5 years in a row – The Cosby Show (1985-86 through 1989-90)…tied Cheers in ‘89-90
• 5 years in a row – All in the Family (1971-72 through 1975-76)
• 4 years in a row – Gunsmoke (1957-58 through 1960-61)

Sunday Night Football, which featured a record 13 one-score games, averaged a Total Audience Delivery (TAD) of 19.9 million viewers for the 2022 season – the show’s best viewership since 2019 and up 3% from last season (19.3 million), according to official national live plus same day data released by Nielsen, and digital data from Adobe Analytics. Over the course of the season, viewers watched nearly 72 billion minutes of SNF.

“With our most watched Kickoff Weekend in six years, the blockbuster Mahomes-Brady matchup, our largest two-game Thanksgiving Weekend audience in seven years and Sunday’s thrilling finale at iconic Lambeau Field, the 2022 Sunday Night Football season was a success from beginning to end,” says Pete Bevacqua, Chairman, NBC Sports. “In a transition year on the air and in the truck, we thank our unparalleled production, technical and announce teams. Coupled with the continued growth of Peacock, we delivered a best-in-class presentation and continued our record-setting 12-year run ranking #1 in primetime.”

Mike Tirico succeeded Al Michaels in the SNF booth this season, joining Cris Collinsworth. Melissa Stark followed Michele Tafoya as sideline reporter. Rob Hyland became coordinating producer, succeeding Fred Gaudelli, and joining director Drew Esocoff in the truck.

SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL DELIVERS 9 GAMES WITH 20+ MILLION VIEWERS – BEST SINCE 2019

Sunday night’s Lions-Packers season finale averaged a Total Audience Delivery of 23.6 million viewers, marking the most-watched SNF finale in six years and the largest Sunday night audience since Week 1. In addition, it was the ninth NBC SNF game this season with 20+ million viewers – the most since 2019 and up from five last year.

LED BY PEACOCK, RECORD-SETTING SNF STREAMING TOPS 1 MILLION AVERAGE MINUTE AUDIENCE (AMA) FOR FIRST TIME

Led by Peacock, NBC Sports Digital hit another viewership milestone for Sunday Night Football in 2022, delivering a full-season Average Minute Audience above 1 million viewers (1.17 million) for the first time across Peacock, NBCSports.com, the NBC Sports app, and NFL Digital properties – up 38% from the prior record (843,000) set last year.

The streaming audience has grown such that NBC Sports Digital’s AMA of 1.17 million viewers for SNF tops the primetime average (8:30-11:30 p.m. ET) of all but three cable networks over the 20 nights of the SNF regular season package.

SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL CONTINUES TO DOMINATE ON TELEVISION’S MOST COMPETITIVE NIGHT

NBC’s Sunday Night Football is pacing to rank as primetime’s #1 show for the 12th consecutive season, despite facing television’s toughest primetime competition on a weekly basis.

On the 18 NFL Sundays since the Sept. 11 opening Sunday, 32 regularly-scheduled primetime television episodes averaged at least six million viewers (live + same day) – topping by 60% primetime television’s next strongest nights. A look at the nights with the most primetime TV episodes with six million viewers (excluding NFL telecasts):

Primetime Television (since Sept. 8, 2022)

*Regularly-scheduled primetime shows (does not include NFL telecasts)

SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL RANKS #1 IN 16 OF 18 WEEKS OF NFL SEASON; TOPS ALL KEY METRICS
NBC’s Sunday Night Football ranked as primetime’s #1 show in 16 of the 18 weeks (89%) for the second consecutive season. In addition, SNF topped all primetime shows in average viewership and household rating, and ranked #1 among adults 18-49 for the 15th consecutive season.

Key SNF Full Season Metrics (TV only)

Source: Nielsen, Live + Same Day Data, 9/8/22-1/8/23

FOOTBALL NIGHT IN AMERICA IS MOST-WATCHED STUDIO SHOW FOR 16TH CONSECUTIVE YEAR

NBC’s Football Night in America studio show averaged 7.24 million viewers from 7:30-8:15 p.m. ET this season – up 1% from last season (7.19 million). FNIA continues its reign as sports’ most-watched weekly studio show for the 17th consecutive year (since the show’s 2006 debut season). In addition, the 8-8:23 p.m. ET portion of Football Night in America (including pre-kick coverage), averaged 12.2 million viewers, and a 3.3 rating among Adults 18-49, which would rank No. 3 and No. 4, respectively, among regularly-scheduled primetime shows in the demographic.

NBC SNF GAMES PRODUCE 15 OF 20 MOST-WATCHED PRIMETIME SHOWS THIS SEASON

NBC Sunday Night Football accounted for seven of the top 10, and 15 of the 20 most-watched primetime telecasts between Sept. 8, 2022, and Jan. 8, 2023.

Most-Watched Primetime Shows This Fall (Sept. 8, 2022-Jan. 8, 2023), TV only

*Viewership across multiple television networks

SNF AVERAGE (P2+) VIEWERSHIP RANK AMONG PRIMETIME SHOWS:

Fall TV Season                                   Full TV Season

Source: Nielsen, Live + Same Day Data

SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL TOP 20 METERED MARKETS – 2022 SEASON:

For the fifth consecutive year, and eighth time (2010, 2011 and 2013) in 13 seasons, New Orleans was the top-rated SNF market. Milwaukee was the top-rated SNF market in 2017 and 2012, while Denver ranked #1 for three consecutive seasons from 2014-16.

SUPER WILD CARD WEEKEND

NBC Sports will present a pair of primetime games on NFL Super Wild Card Weekend. This Sat., Jan. 14 at 8:15 p.m. ET on NBC, Peacock and Universo, it’s a battle of young star quarterbacks as Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers visit Trevor Lawrence and the AFC South-champion Jacksonville Jaguars. Then on Sun., Jan. 15 at 8:15 p.m. ET on NBC, Peacock and Telemundo, the AFC’s most accurate passer Joe Burrow (68.3 completion percentage) looks to lead the AFC North champion Cincinnati Bengals back to the Super Bowl, hosting the division rival Baltimore Ravens. The Bengals and Ravens split their two games this season. Coverage both nights begins at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock with special editions of Football Night in America.