Final Ratings: Fox Seeing Record Numbers For NFL Coverage; OU-FSU Scores For ABC

Fox is averaging a 12.2 final Nielsen rating and 20.5 million viewers for its NFL game coverage to date, marking the net’s best two-week audience figures ever. The figures top last year’s record-setting 11.7 rating and 19.6 million viewers. The net also set two-week records among males 18-34, 18-49, 25-54 and adults 18-49. Fox had NFL singleheader coverage this past weekend, averaging a 13.2 rating for the window featuring Bears-Saints in 38% of markets and Cowboys-49ers in 30%. The rating marks Fox’ best Week Two singleheader window since ’94 (13.4 rating). The “Fox NFL Sunday” pregame show is also off to a strong start, averaging its best two-week audience figures since ’01 (Fox). Meanwhile, ESPN averaged a 7.8 U.S. rating and 11.9 million viewers for its Rams-Giants “MNF” telecast, down 17% and 21%, respectively, from a 9.4 rating and 15.1 million viewers for the comparable Saints-49ers game in Week Two last year. ESPN has now seen the audience drop for each of its “MNF” telecasts to date (THE DAILY).

IN WITH THE NEW: ESPN2 and Versus began a slate of new sports shows this fall. ESPN2’s “Dan Le Batard Is Highly Questionable,” which airs in the 4:00pm ET window, averaged 149,000 viewers during its first week. In the 3:30pm window, the new “Numbers Never Lie” averaged 140,000 viewers in its first week. Compared to the same week in ’10, the net’s audience was down slightly from a combination of programming that included “College Football Live,” “SportsNation” and simulcasts of “The Scott Van Pelt Show,” as well as NASCAR Sprint Cup Series qualifying. On Versus, “NFL Turning Point,” a highlight show hosted by Dan Patrick at 10:00pm on Thursdays, saw the best audience among the net’s new slate of programming with 126,000 viewers for its Sept. 14 premiere. Versus averaged only 36,000 viewers for the premiere of “College Football Talk” on Sept. 12 at 5:00pm. The net’s “CNBC Sports Biz: Game On” featuring Darren Rovell averaged 32,000 viewers for its second episode, down from 36,000 viewers for the show’s Sept. 9 premiere. Versus’ weeknight highlight show, “NBC Sports Talk,” averaged 20,000 viewers during its first full week in the 6:00-7:00pm window (Austin Karp, THE DAILY).

NOTES: Fox averaged a 1.0 final rating and 1.6 million viewers for its tape-delayed broadcast of Manchester United-Chelsea on Sunday afternoon. It marked the first EPL match to ever air on broadcast TV in the U.S. An additional 456,000 viewers watched live coverage of the match on Fox Soccer from 10:54am-1:03pm ET, while Fox Deportes averaged 430,000 viewers (Fox)….ABC’s Oklahoma-Florida State game Saturday night averaged a 5.8 final rating and 9.3 million viewers, marking the net’s highest-rated and most-viewed regular-season college football telecast since the Texas-Nebraska Big 12 Championship in ’09 drew a 7.5 rating and 12.7 million viewers (ESPN)….The Patriots-Chargers game on CBS earned a 35.3 local rating in Boston, marking a record in the market for a Week Two Patriots game. The previous record was a 34.96 set last season for the game against the Jets. The team’s game against the Dolphins also set a local Week One ratings record (PROVIDENCE JOURNAL, 9/22)….The Packers-Panthers game earned a 26.0 local rating in Charlotte, up 8.3% from last year’s 24.0 local rating for the Buccaneers-Panthers game in Week Two (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 9/20)….YES Network averaged a 7.01 local rating in N.Y. for the Yankees’ AL East-clinching win over the Rays on Wednesday night, marking the net’s second-best Yankees audience of the year and best non-Red Sox audience since April 1, 2008 (YES Network).

The chart below lists final Nielsen ratings from recent sports telecasts. All ratings listed are U.S. ratings.