2012 NFL on FOX Season to Kick Off 9/9

The 19th season of the NFL on FOX premieres Sunday, Sept. 9 with doubleheader coverage of seven games including one of the most anticipated matchups of the season as Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers host Alex Smith and the San Francisco 49ers. Week 1 action begins with the New Orleans Saints playing their first game without head coach Sean Payton hosting the Washington Redskins in what could be Robert Griffin III's NFL debut.

At present, FOX Sports is scheduled to broadcast 103 regular-season games, including nine editions of AMERICA'S GAME OF THE WEEK (NFL on FOX's national doubleheader window and the highest-rated most-watched NFL game on any network) and the traditional Thanksgiving Day game this year featuring the Redskins taking on Tony Romo's Dallas Cowboys in Arlington, TX.

Viewers can look forward to many exciting matchups on the NFL on FOX schedule including two recent Super Bowl Champions facing off on Sunday, Sept. 30 when the Packers host the Saints in Week 4. The reigning Super Bowl Champs headline Week 6 when the Giants travel to San Francisco to take on the 49ers in a highly anticipated NFC Championship Game rematch on Sunday, Oct. 14. The Giants are also featured Week 8 when Eli Manning's team heads to Arlington to take on the Cowboys on Sunday, Oct. 28. Other key dates include a clash in Philadelphia with the Eagles hosting the Cowboys in an NFC East battle on Sunday, Nov. 11 followed by a Week 12 NFC Divisional Playoff rematch between the 49ers and Saints in New Orleans on Sunday, Nov. 25. Week 14 features two of the best quarterbacks in the NFL when Drew Brees' Saints faceoff against Eli Manning's Giants on Sunday, Dec. 9. As the regular season reaches its final stretch, the NFL's oldest rivalry resumes on FOX Sports in a Week 15 matchup between the Green Bay Packers and the Chicago Bears on Sunday, Dec. 16. Weeks 16 and 17 could see many teams fighting for playoff positioning with the Cowboys hosting the Saints and the Giants traveling to Baltimore to take on the reigning AFC North Champions on Sunday, Dec. 23. The following week features two key divisional matchups with the Eagles traveling to MetLife Stadium to face the Giants and the Detroit Lions hosting the Chicago Bears on Sunday, Dec. 30.

Each week, coverage begins with FOX NFL SUNDAY (12:00-1:00 PM ET/9:00-10:00 AM PT), America's most-watched pregame show for 18-straight seasons. Terry Bradshaw and Curt Menefee return as co-hosts alongside analysts Howie Long, Jimmy Johnson and Michael Strahan, NFL insider Jay Glazer and comedian Frank Caliendo. Since its premiere in September 1994, FOX NFL SUNDAY has won 20 Emmy Awards for its production and personalities, including four for Outstanding Studio Show.

The 2011 NFL season was one for the record books for FOX Sports. Just when you thought that NFL ratings couldn't get any higher, the regular season averaged a 12.0/24 national household rating/share and was FOX Sports' highest-rated NFL season in 16 years (12.5/29 in 1995). It also marked ratings growth for the third consecutive year, a first for the NFC package since the 1970 merger. FOX was the only full-season NFL television carrier to boast a year-over-year ratings increase last season. The NFL on FOX 2011 season was +2% compared to 2010 (11.8/24), and since posting a 10.5 HH rating for the 2008 season, NFL on FOX ratings have grown +14% over the last three seasons (10.5 in 2008 to 12.0 in 2011). In addition, audience for the NFL on FOX for 2011 averaged 20.1 million viewers, tying 2010 as FOX Sports' most-watched NFL season ever.

The 2012 NFL on FOX season includes 68 appearances of last season's playoff teams, including nine games featuring the Super Bowl Champion New York Giants. The NFC South Champion New Orleans Saints and the NFC Wild Card Atlanta Falcons each play 11 games on FOX, while the NFC Wild Card Lions play 10. The NFC West Champion 49ers and NFC North Champion Packers are each scheduled for nine games.

Once the playoff teams are determined, the NFL on FOX presents exclusive live postseason coverage, including an NFC Wild Card Game on Sunday, Jan. 6, the NFC Divisional Playoffs, Saturday, Jan. 12 and Sunday, Jan. 13, and the NFC Championship Game on Sunday, Jan. 20.

The NFL on FOX's 19th season of coverage kicks off with three preseason contests beginning on Thursday, Aug. 16 (8:00 PM ET) with the Cincinnati Bengals' Andy Dalton and A.J. Green looking to build on their rookie success taking on Matt Ryan, Michael Turner and the Atlanta Falcons. That game is followed up the next night with the reigning AFC North Champion Baltimore Ravens hosting Matthew Stafford and Ndamukong Suh's Detroit Lions on Friday, Aug. 17 (8:00 PM ET). FOX Sports' preseason coverage wraps up on Sunday, Aug. 26 (4:00 PM ET) with the new-look Denver Broncos featuring Peyton Manning hosting the 49ers.

Following is a complete list of games on the 2012 NFL on FOX regular and postseason broadcast schedules.

2012 NFL ON FOX BROADCAST SCHEDULE

(ALL TIMES ET)

Sunday, September 9 (FOX NFL SUNDAY Doubleheader) 1:00 PM St. Louis Rams at Detroit Lions Washington Redskins at New Orleans Saints Philadelphia Eagles at Cleveland Browns Atlanta Falcons at Kansas City Chiefs 4:15 PM San Francisco 49ers at Green Bay Packers Seattle Seahawks at Arizona Cardinals Carolina Panthers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Sunday, September 16 1:00 PM Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New York Giants New Orleans Saints at Carolina Panthers Arizona Cardinals at New England Patriots Minnesota Vikings at Indianapolis Colts 4:05 PM Dallas Cowboys at Seattle Seahawks Washington Redskins at St. Louis Rams

Sunday, September 23 1:00 PM Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Dallas Cowboys St. Louis Rams at Chicago Bears San Francisco 49ers at Minnesota Vikings Detroit Lions at Tennessee Titans 4:05 PM Philadelphia Eagles at Arizona Cardinals Atlanta Falcons at San Diego Chargers

Sunday, September 30 (FOX NFL SUNDAY Doubleheader) 1:00 PM Minnesota Vikings at Detroit Lions Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons Seattle Seahawks at St. Louis Rams San Francisco 49ers at New York Jets 4:15 PM New Orleans Saints at Green Bay Packers Washington Redskins at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Sunday, October 7 1:00 PM Atlanta Falcons at Washington Redskins Philadelphia Eagles at Pittsburgh Steelers Green Bay Packers at Indianapolis Colts 4:05 PM Seattle Seahawks at Carolina Panthers Chicago Bears at Jacksonville Jaguars

Sunday, October 14 (FOX NFL SUNDAY Doubleheader) 1:00 PM Detroit Lions at Philadelphia Eagles St. Louis Rams at Miami Dolphins Dallas Cowboys at Baltimore Ravens 4:15 PM New York Giants at San Francisco 49ers Minnesota Vikings at Washington Redskins Sunday, October 21 1:00 PM Washington Redskins at New York Giants Arizona Cardinals at Minnesota Vikings Dallas Cowboys at Carolina Panthers New Orleans Saints at Tampa Bay Buccaneers Green Bay Packers at St. Louis Rams

Sunday, October 28 (FOX NFL SUNDAY Doubleheader) 1:00 PM Atlanta Falcons at Philadelphia Eagles Carolina Panthers at Chicago Bears Seattle Seahawks at Detroit Lions Washington Redskins at Pittsburgh Steelers 4:15 PM New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys

Sunday, November 4 1:00 PM Carolina Panthers at Washington Redskins Arizona Cardinals at Green Bay Packers Detroit Lions at Jacksonville Jaguars Chicago Bears at Tennessee Titans 4:05 PM Minnesota Vikings at Seattle Seahawks Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Oakland Raiders

Sunday, November 11 (FOX NFL SUNDAY Doubleheader) 1:00 PM New York Giants at Cincinnati Bengals Atlanta Falcons at New Orleans Saints Detroit Lions at Minnesota Vikings 4:15 PM Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles St. Louis Rams at San Francisco 49ers

Sunday, November 18* 1:00 PM Philadelphia Eagles at Washington Redskins Green Bay Packers at Detroit Lions Arizona Cardinals at Atlanta Falcons Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Carolina Panthers 4:05 PM New Orleans Saints at Oakland Raiders

Thursday, November 22 (THANKSGIVING DAY) 4:15 PM Washington Redskins at Dallas Cowboys

Sunday, November 25* (FOX NFL SUNDAY Doubleheader) 1:00 PM Minnesota Vikings at Chicago Bears Atlanta Falcons at Tampa Bay Buccaneers Seattle Seahawks at Miami Dolphins 4:15 PM San Francisco 49ers at New Orleans Saints St. Louis Rams at Arizona Cardinals

Sunday, December 2* 1:00 PM Seattle Seahawks at Chicago Bears Minnesota Vikings at Green Bay Packers San Francisco 49ers at St. Louis Rams Arizona Cardinals at New York Jets Carolina Panthers at Kansas City Chiefs 4:05 PM Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Denver Broncos

Sunday, December 9* (FOX NFL SUNDAY Doubleheader) 1:00 PM Chicago Bears at Minnesota Vikings Atlanta Falcons at Carolina Panthers Philadelphia Eagles at Tampa Bay Buccaneers St. Louis Rams at Buffalo Bills Dallas Cowboys at Cincinnati Bengals 4:15 PM New Orleans Saints at New York Giants Arizona Cardinals at Seattle Seahawks

Sunday, December 16* 1:00 PM Green Bay Packers at Chicago Bears New York Giants at Atlanta Falcons Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New Orleans Saints Minnesota Vikings at St. Louis Rams Washington Redskins at Cleveland Browns 4:05 PM Detroit Lions at Arizona Cardinals Carolina Panthers at San Diego Chargers Seattle Seahawks at Buffalo Bills (Toronto)

Sunday, December 23* (FOX NFL SUNDAY Doubleheader) 1:00 PM New Orleans Saints at Dallas Cowboys Washington Redskins at Philadelphia Eagles St. Louis Rams at Tampa Bay Buccaneers New York Giants at Baltimore Ravens Minnesota Vikings at Houston Texans 4:15 PM Chicago Bears at Arizona Cardinals San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks

Sunday, December 30* (FOX NFL SUNDAY & CBS Doubleheader) 1:00 PM Philadelphia Eagles at New York Giants Dallas Cowboys at Washington Redskins Chicago Bears at Detroit Lions Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Atlanta Falcons Carolina Panthers at New Orleans Saints 4:15 PM Arizona Cardinals at San Francisco 49ers St. Louis Rams at Seattle Seahawks

Sunday, January 6, 2013 NFC Wild Card Game (teams, site & time to be determined)

Saturday, January 12, 2013 NFC Divisional Playoff Game (teams, site & time to be determined)

Sunday, January 13, 2013 NFC Divisional Playoff Game (teams, site & time to be determined)

Sunday, January 20, 2013 NFC Championship Game (teams, site & time to be determined)

* NFL on FOX games scheduled in Weeks 11 - 17 are part of the NFL's flexible schedule plan. After consultation with FOX Sports, the NFL will determine start times on these dates, with a game or games likely moving to the late afternoon broadcast window.

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