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.