Friday, October 23, 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

Troy Aikman

Examining Troy Aikman’s Options After J.J. Watt-CBS Deal 

Aikman has yet to receive a formal offer to return to ESPN.

NFL Could Soon Let TV Viewers Watch, Hear Instant Replay Reviews

The NFL could follow the ACC, Big 12, and Big Ten’s lead.

FIFA’s World Cup Rights Shake-Up Could Favor NBC Over Fox

It’s bad news for Fox and great news for Telemundo’s parent, NBC.
podcast thumbnail mobile
Front Office Sports Today

10/22/26 – Rays-Brewers Can’t Stop Lockout, $771 to Watch NBA, Jaguars Fans’ Afterlife

0:00

Featured Today

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

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.
October 15, 2026

College Flag Football Is Outgrowing Its DIY Era

Women have been building the college game themselves at the club level.
Oct 5, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas arrives at the arena before the Penguins host the Winnipeg Jets at PPG Paints Arena
October 12, 2026

NHL’s New Wave of GMs Is Built Different

“I am in the prediction business,” Devils GM Sunny Mehta tells FOS.
Action Images/Peter Cziborra
October 9, 2026

Is Leicester City’s $264 Million Price Tag Too Rich for Hungry Investors?

After falling from grace, how much is a former top club worth?
Zach Lowe Sean Fennessey The Ringer

Substack CEO: No Deal With The Ringer, Even as Talent Flocks to Platform

Zach Lowe is the latest Ringer talent to launch a Substack newsletter.
Aug 3, 2024; Canton, OH, USA; Houston Texans former defensive end J.J. Watt in attendance at the Class of 2024 Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremony at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
October 22, 2026

NFL TV’s Analyst Market Tightens as CBS Extends JJ Watt

Watt is officially Tony Romo’s full-time replacement at CBS.
NBC Sports Logo
October 22, 2026

Comcast-NBCUniversal Split Comes With $1B Cost, Layoffs

The NBC Sports parent company will take on a hefty restructuring charge.
Sponsored

Blake Griffin’s Plan for Media Domination

The former NBA star is building a second act across media & entertainment.
Oct 15, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; MLB on Fox broadcasters Kevin Burkhardt, Alex Rodriguez, David Ortiz and Derek Jeter during game four of the NLCS for the 2026 MLB Playoffs at Uniqlo Field at Dodger Stadium.
October 22, 2026

Fox, MLB Look to Counter Lower World Series Expectations

MLB is riding a wave of postseason audience expansion.
October 21, 2026

NFL Claims ‘No Concern’ About Aikman’s Issues With Buck, ESPN

Aikman’s contract expires after the Super Bowl.
Los Angeles, CA - October 27, 2025 - Dodger Stadium: Jeff Passan during game three of the 2025 World Series.
October 21, 2026

Jeff Passan: Brewers-Rays World Series Won’t Head Off MLB Lockout

Passan also addressed the backlash he received to comments about the Dodgers.
October 21, 2026

College Football’s Emerging Powers Are Shaking Up TV Ratings

BYU–Notre Dame averaged 9.2 million viewers on ABC.