THE NFL IS BACK!

Last night's NFL on FOX preseason matchup between the Cincinnati Bengals and Atlanta Falcons posted a 3.1/5 household rating/share, with 4.7 million viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research. The 3.1 rating is up +15% over the first NFL on FOX preseason game a year ago, a Friday night game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Kansas City Chiefs (2.7/5, 4.2 million viewers). Cincinnati led the way last night with a 12.4/20 locally, followed by New Orleans (11.0/15) and host market Atlanta (9.7/16). The game averaged a 3.3 household rating during prime time (8:00-11:00 PM), with 5.0 million viewers, and powered FOX to its best Thursday night since May 24. It also ranked no. 1 in prime time among Adults 18-49 (1.8), with CBS placing second (1.7).