As the lead-in benefit of FOX’s NFL coverage failed to make its way through “The Cleveland Show,” “The Simpsons” managed to score a rare ratings victory over “Family Guy.”
With 8.7 million viewers and a 4.0 in the adults 18-49 demo, “The Simpsons” was down slightly from the last time FOX’s animated bloc featured a football lead-in. It nonetheless managed to top the 8.1 million viewers and 3.9 rating garnered by “Guy,” a feat that has not been commonplace this year.
Going back to the 11/29/09 instance of FOX’s Sunday lineup featuring a boost from NFL action, “The Simpsons” managed a 4.2 rating, as compared with a 4.4 for the 9PM flagship. The last new “Family Guy,” which aired on 12/13 without help from football, was good for a 3.8 rating with 7.7 million viewers; an airing of “The Simpsons” that night posted a 3.2 with 7.1 million total watchers.
“The Cleveland Show,” which airs between “Simpsons” and “Guy,” also demonstrated a positive reaction to the NFL lead-in. It did a 3.3 with 7 million viewers, up from the 3.0 with 6.5 million viewers for the last non-football airing. The most reasonable conclusion for “Family Guy”‘s dip is therefore that “The Cleveland Show” is losing its efficacy in bridging holdover audience from NFL and “The Simpsons” to “Family Guy.”
“American Dad” followed “Family Guy” with 5.9 million viewers and a 2.8. While its retention is far from exemplary, it still functions as a more consistent player than the live-action shows FOX has tried on Sunday in recent years.
Elsewhere, “Desperate Housewives” rose to a season high 5.2 rating with 15.2 million viewers Sunday. ABC also featured “America’s Funniest Home Videos” (10.2 million, 2.7), “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (11 million, 3.3) and “Brothers & Sisters” (10.9 million, 3.6).
NBC’s coverage of “Sunday Night Football,” in which the Jets dominated the Bengals to secure a playoff spot, averaged a 5.5 rating and 14.6 million viewers in primetime. Since the broadcast was live, the rating is subject to non-trivial change.
family guy was down 12% in the demo if you compare to the last football lead in night of 11/29. simpsons was down only 4%. but the simpsons on both nights increased from the football lead in. simpsons went up 16% over football on the night of 11/29 and 14% last night.
I’m sure the readers appreciate the additional percentage breakdown–I know I do, so thanks.
The fact that “The Simpsons” built on The OT is definitely good news for the show, but I did not note those stats because it does not seem to be as relevant as it would be in other scenarios. Since “The Simpsons” did only a 3.2 without football and a 4.0 with football, it is clear that football helps. So even though The OT only did I believe a 3.5 last night, we can assume a portion of that audience watched The Simpsons but would not otherwise have done so.
The real trend and story here is the fact that The Simpsons is staying far more consistent on post-NFL nights than Family Guy. A few months ago, Family Guy episodes were posting ratings in the 5.0 territory when the NFL lead-in was there. The show didn’t even break a 4 this week.
Since it’s not like there was special competition from other networks last night, you have to attribute it DIRECTLY to a problem with the FOX lineup. I think a combination of The Cleveland Show turning an increasing percentage of NFL fans off and a slight decline in Family Guy interest explain the bulk of the problem.
honestly i cannot understand how some of these shows get such high ratings.