TV Rankings: Taylor Swift Attracts Younger Feminine Viewers to NFL Blowout

Fox’s late afternoon NFL broadcast Sunday was down some from the identical week a 12 months in the past — however probably the most well-known fan in attendance on the sport might have helped drive a scores uptick in at the very least one demographic.

Taylor Swift attended the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs’ 41-10 blowout of the Chicago Bears Sunday, sitting in a collection with the household of Kansas Metropolis tight finish Travis Kelce, whom she’s rumored to be relationship. Fox’s cameras repeatedly reduce to Swift within the stands through the sport.

The music celebrity’s presence alone wasn’t sufficient to raise the laugher of a sport (Kansas Metropolis led 34-0 at halftime) above the identical week final 12 months, nonetheless. Fox’s telecast averaged 24.32 million viewers, the many of the weekend, however was off by about 8 p.c from the 26.4 million who watched the community’s sport of the week a 12 months in the past. Rankings had been off by comparable quantities amongst adults 18-49 and adults 25-54 and down by barely much less (-5 p.c) in adults 18-34. It was nonetheless the highest broadcast of the week in all these measures, although, together with No. 1 amongst girls of all ages.

Fox Sports activities even alluded to Swift’s presence on the sport in a scores be aware despatched to press and posted on social media: “America’s Recreation of the Week swiftly scores the most-watched telecast of the week on any community,” it reads. (The e-mail despatched to reporters additionally mentions “the afterglow of Sunday,” a reference to the tune “Afterglow” from Swift’s 2019 album Lover.)

Following Fox’s NFL protection, the collection premiere of Krapopolis — the most recent animated collection from Rick and Morty co-creator Dan Harmon — drew 3.82 million viewers and a 1.18 ranking amongst adults 18-49. Fox says the present was the most important animated collection debut in a decade, and within the adults 18-49 demographic, the present scored the perfect same-day ranking for a comedy in 2023, topping NBC’s Night time Court docket (0.98) in January.

Krapopolis’ premiere got here in barely under the season debut of The Simpsons (4.15 million viewers, 1.41 ranking in adults 18-49) following an NFL telecast on the identical weekend final 12 months. A second episode of the brand new collection misplaced about half of the premiere’s viewers, drawing 1.9 million viewers and a 0.57 18-49 ranking.

NBC’s Sunday Night time Soccer was, as ordinary, a runaway chief in primetime, averaging 19.21 million viewers (up about 8 p.c from a 12 months in the past). CBS’ rebroadcast of Yellowstone drew first rate numbers for the second straight week, although not as sturdy because the NFL-assisted numbers from Sept. 17. Two season one episodes averaged 4.77 million viewers.

Sept. 26, 9:48 a.m. An earlier model of this story incorrectly said that the Chiefs-Bears sport was up amongst females 12-17; that was not the case.