Sunday, November 8, 2026

Despite Blowout, Fox Draws 47.5 Million for NFC Title Game

  • Fox pulls a big number despite one-sided win by Eagles.
  • Biggest audience for the network since last year’s NFC Championship game.
Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Want more from Front Office Sports
in your search results?

Add Front Office Sports on Google

The NFL’s television drawing power can still turn bad games into great TV numbers.  

Fox Sports telecast of a one-sided NFC Championship Game between the Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers still averaged 47.5 million viewers Sunday.

The Eagles’ dominating 31-7 victory over the 49ers was even more lopsided than the score indicated. 

San Francisco lost quarterbacks Brock Purdy and Josh Johnson to injuries – forcing the 49ers to prep running back Christian McCaffrey as its emergency QB.

In the end, the score and the injuries didn’t matter. The NFL is the NFL. Sunday’s TV results proved it. 

  • Fox said the game was the network’s most-watched telecast ever since last year’s NFC Championship Game between the eventual Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams and 49ers.
  • Viewership peaked at 52.3 million viewers between 5:15 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. ET.
  • Eagles-49ers was the second-most streamed game in Fox history.

Dramatic Bengals-Chiefs AFC Title Game Draws 53 Million Viewers

The AFC title game ratings were up 11 percent from last year.
January 31, 2023

The telecast only wet football fans’ appetite for CBS Sports’ coverage of a dramatic AFC Championship rematch between the Kansas City Chiefs and Cincinnati Bengals in the late window.

CBS’ coverage of the Chiefs’ 23-20 win over the Bengals drew over 53 million viewers. 

It was the most-watched TV show of any kind on any network since Super Bowl 56.

Download the FOS App

The business of sports, in your pocket.

QR code to download the app

Scan the QR code to get the app now.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Feb 7, 2022; Westlake Village, CA, USA; ESPN reporter Dianna Russini at Los Angeles Rams Super Bowl LVI Opening Night at Oaks Christian High School. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
First at FOS

Dianna Russini Set to Return to Media: What We Know

Russini’s new content is expected to be sponsored by gambling operators.

How the Risk-Averse NFL Learned to Love Trades

The NFL once was practically a no-trades league. 

Is the Lamar Jackson Era Over in Baltimore?

Jackson’s contract situation hangs over the franchise.
podcast thumbnail mobile
Front Office Sports Today

11/6/26 – LIV Golf Is Over, LeBron vs. Bron AI App, Pegula’s Hot-Mic Moment

0:00

Featured Today

Can MLS Capitalize on Son-Mania?

Korea and Tottenham fans alike have flocked to LAFC’s away matches.
Pickering High School North
November 4, 2026

High School Athletic Directors Say They’re Running ‘Mini Colleges’

ADs are managing a growing list of demands from athletes and parents.
October 30, 2026

How Injuries Hit Pro Marathoners in the Wallet

Staying healthy can get expensive—quickly.
Football - NFL - Houston Texans v Jacksonville Jaguars - Wembley Stadium, London, Britain - October 18, 2026 The necklace of a Jacksonville Jaguars fan outside the stadium before the match
October 21, 2026

Die-Hard Sports Fandom Has Reached the Afterlife

Will fans pay $6,000 to memorialize their team loyalty?
October 20, 2026

Why Europe Is Pumping Out NBA Superstars

The NBA and NCAA have an increasingly European flavor.
The ESPN logo is seen on an electronic display in Times Square in New York City, U.S., August 23, 2017. REUTERS/Mike Segar
Exclusive

ESPN Warns Talent About Insider Betting on Prediction Markets

The guidelines were sent to on-camera talent at the end of October.
ESPN analyst Pat McAfee broadcasts live from the sidelines of Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, PA prior to the start of the Pittsburgh Panthers vs Notre Dame Fighting Irish game on November 15, 2025.
Opinion
November 5, 2026

How Did Pat McAfee Get So Polarizing?

Some of the criticism is self-inflicted. Some of it is unfair.
November 6, 2026

College Football’s Loaded Saturday Sets Up Huge Day for ABC, ESPN

The networks will broadcast five top-25 matchups Saturday.
Sponsored

How Jeremy Bloom Is Reinventing the X Games

Jeremy Bloom discusses transforming the X Games into a global brand.
November 4, 2026

College Football TV Ratings Remain Down 11% Through October

Four games total have drawn an audience of 10 million or higher.
Oct 31, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Valkyries players hold the trophy after winning the 2026 WNBA Finals against the Atlanta Dream at Chase Center
November 3, 2026

WNBA Finals Game 7 Draws 3.3M Viewers

The series averaged nearly 1.9 million viewers, the most for a Finals.
Feb 5, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA; The ESPN logo at the Super Bowl LIX media center at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Exclusive
November 3, 2026

ESPN Hires The Athletic Editorial Director Sergio Gonzalez

The move comes three months after ESPN eliminated Roxanna Scott’s editor-in-chief role.
Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik (2) talks to CW sports after the game at Memorial Stadium in Clemson, S.C. Saturday, November 22, 2025.
First at FOS
November 3, 2026

The CW Eyes TNT Sports Rights and More CFP Games

TNT Sports’s portfolio includes the NHL, MLB, and French Open.