The perfect storm collided for television viewers on Thanksgiving as the shootout between the Redskins and the Cowboys produced the most watched NFL regular season game ever for Fox Sports.
America’s Team! Per @FoxSportsPR Redskins-Cowboys averaged 35.1 million viewers, Fox’s most-watched regular season game ever.
— Sports TV Ratings (@SportsTVRatings) November 25, 2016
From a TV perspective, this game had it all. Like it or not, the Cowboys are the biggest draw in football, especially when they're good.
Coming into the game at 9-1, and facing their division rivals in Washington, folks were going to tune in. Add in that the Redskins are also playing good football and were coming off a 42-24 thrashing of the Packers on national television as well.
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Combine that with the broad, mostly captive audience at home with family for Thanksgiving, and there were plenty of eyeballs tuned in. Then, that game unfolded with plenty of offensive fireworks to keep viewers entertained, and as Kirk Cousins and the Redskins kept coming back and keeping the game close, the masses stayed with the game until the end.
Washington vs. Dallas on Thanksgiving Day scored a 15.6/38 metered market rating for FOX! +14% better than Philly/Detroit last year on FOX.
— FOX Sports PR (@FOXSportsPR) November 25, 2016
Considering the success of this game, expect another primetime, national showdown for Cowboys vs Redskins in 2017. And should the two teams meet in the playoffs this year, those numbers would be massive.
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