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.
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.
![The University of Alabama showed off renovations to Bryant Denny Stadium Thursday, Oct. 1, 2020. Sports Illustrated covers decorate the walls inside the new press box. [Staff Photo/Gary Cosby Jr.]](https://frontofficesports.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/USATSI_15005835_168422351_lowres-scaled-e1779297429645.jpg?quality=80&w=768)
