Ratings: FOX's A CHRISTMAS STORY LIVE! Fails to Find Its Audience

Ratings are in for the live presentation of A CHRISTMAS STORY, which aired last night on FOX. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the musical re-telling of the holiday classic was unable to hold its own against NFL football games on both CBS and NBC. The FOX broadcast was also beaten by 7% by an annual encore of THE SOUND OF MUSIC, over on ABC. Preliminary ratings indicate that the production is the lowest-rated and least-watched broadcast live musical to date.

Preliminary numbers for the sixth live musical special to be presented on network television give the show a 2.8/5 share in overnight ratings among households, placing it at the bottom of the Sunday night offerings. The show is currently averaging a 1.5 rating in adults 18-49 and 4.5 million viewers. This marks a decrease of 62% from the metered market results of FOX's 2016's GREASE LIVE, which delivered nearly three times the returns. It should be noted however that GREASE LIVE! was not up against NFL competition.

Over on NBC, SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL's broadcast of the Dallas Cowboys vs Raiders game grew 6% from a week ago, drawing a 4.8 rating and 15.4 million viewers. CBS was second with a 2.1 and 11.6 million viewers. ABC's THE SOUND OF MUSIC broadcast earned a 3.0/5 overnight ratings share and delivered 4.5 million viewers and a 0.9 rating in the 18-49 demo.

In comparison to past live musical broadcasts, 2016's HAIRSPRAY LIVE! on NBC delivered a 5.9 overnight rating, tying the network's live presentation of PETER PAN in 2014. However, none of the live musical presentations hold a candle to NBC's 2013's THE SOUND OF MUSIC LIVE, which drew a whopping 10.6 overnight rating, and 18.3 million viewers.

A CHRISTMAS STORY LIVE starred Maya Rudolph("Saturday Night Live," "Bridesmaids"), Matthew Broderick ("How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying," "The Producers," "Manchester by the Sea"), Jane Krakowski("Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt," "30 Rock"), Chris Diamantopoulos ("Good Girls Revolt," "Silicon Valley," "Episodes"), Ana Gasteyer("Saturday Night Live") and newcomer Andy Walken. The broadcast was inspired by the holiday classic feature A CHRISTMAS STORY and the Tony Award-nominated Broadway production A CHRISTMAS STORY: THE MUSICAL.

Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (DEAR EVAN HANSEN, LA LA LAND) who composed the original score to "A Christmas Story: The Musical," composed several new songs for the LIVE television event. Marc Platt ("Grease: Live," "La La Land," "Wicked") and Adam Siegel ("Grease: Live") executive-produced with Jonathan Tolins and Robert Cary ("Grease: Live," "Anything but Love," "Ira & Abby") serving as co-executive producers and writers. Scott Ellis (the 2016 Broadway revival of "She Loves Me," "Weeds") served as the director overseeing the stage direction, while Alex Rudzinski ("Grease: Live," "Dancing with the Stars") served as the live television director.

Photo credit: Jordin Althaus/ FOX