Tom Brady‘s broadcast debut as an NFL analyst for Fox Sports helped the network to its best ratings in four years.
The former New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers star first appeared as a broadcaster opposite Kevin Burkhardt in the Dallas Cowboys vs. Cleveland Browns matchup.
Fox’s America’s Game of the Week aired for most of the country, scoring 23.9M viewers. That’s the network’s best Week 1 NFL telecast in four years, up 47% compared to last season’s 16.2M in Week 1.
The doubleheader, which also featured a swath of regional games in the early window, averaged 18.6M viewers, a 40% increase from last season. It’s the network’s best start to an NFL season in four years.
This year, Fox had the advantage of not competing with CBS, as both networks have aired dueling doubleheaders for the past four years.
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At the top of the game on Sunday, Burkhardt acknowledged that Brady was now a broadcaster and congratulated him on his new endeavor.
“We’re here. It’s been quite a journey but I love being your partner,” Brady said.
Brady’s broadcast debut divided NFL fans, with much negative criticism directed at the seven-time Super Bowl champion.
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Joe Buck, who has been calling games since 1994, asked NFL fans to be patient with Brady as he settles into his new role on TV.
“This is a hard job, and we all do our piece of it,” Buck said on The Michael Kay Show on Monday. “We all have to be able to settle in; know what you need to know. I talked to him on Friday, and I don’t think anybody’s put in more work into being prepared for his first broadcast than Tom did. And now, you have to go forward and settle in. It’s grossly unfair that everybody wants to weigh in after five seconds. That’s not the way it works.”
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