‘9-1-1’ Season 2 Starter Scores Series High; ‘Celebrity Family Feud’ Season Finale Falters – Update

UPDATED with final numbers: Fox’s 9-1-1 adjusted up to a 2.6 demo rating and 9.8 million viewers. That’s up 44% in the demo and total viewers compared to last season’s series debut.

The 9.8M makes 9-1-1‘s Season 2 opener on Sunday Fox’s most watched entertainment program season starter since Empire‘s Season 3 premiere clocked 10.9 million viewers in September 2016.

PREVIOUSLY, 9:16 AM: Fox’s 9-1-1 Season 2 starter posted series highs (2.2 demo rating, 8.47 million viewers) Sunday night. A football-strewn night on Fox and NBC will result in greater-than-usual adjustments in spots, once time-zone adjusted ratings come in later this morning.

That includes 9-1-1’s post-pigskin season starter. But early stats suggest that, as intended, the new season opener enjoyed strong sampling. Its 2.2 demo rating represents a 22% jump from the series’ launch last season. And the total viewer tally of  8.47 million for Ryan Murphy’s first-responders procedural drama marks a 25% spike compared to the series’ unveiling.

Meanwhile, opposite 9-1-1 and NBC’s Sunday football, ABC’s 8 PM Celebrity Family Feud season finale (0.6, 4.07M) slipped to a new low.

NBC’s 8:30-11 PM football (5.7, 17.21M) dominated primetime Sunday night; early data has Fox’s 7 PM NFL play (5.2, 17.09M) following, then NBC’s 8 PM pregame show (4.3, 13.56M).

NBC (4.6, 14.46M) took the night in both metrics, followed by Fox (2.5, 8.24M), CBS (0.8, 5.28M) and ABC (0.6, 3.97M).