Whether it’s cheering for a perfect touchdown, shouting at the underdog NASCAR driver on the television screen, or groaning at a disappointing strike-out, there is no doubt that fall sports have become a tradition for hundreds of thousands of New England fans.

“My family loves to watch the Patriots on Sunday,” says FHS Junior Stephanie Queenan. “Whenever we aren’t too busy we always try to watch them as much as we can.”

Stephanie isn’t alone; in fact, according to a recent viewership study, Sunday Night Football on NBC is off to its best start in 7 years, raking in about 23.3 million viewers throughout the nation.

 “Since Labor Day, NFL game telecasts rank as the eight most-watched shows on television and are the only programs along with the NCIS premiere to draw more than 20 million viewers,” states editor Sara Bibel in a recent article. “Through the first quarter of the 2012 season, NFL games ranked No. 1 in local markets 98 percent of the time.”

But it’s not just Sunday Night football that has been riding high on the waves this fall season; similarly, after a 3-year decline in viewership, NASCAR’s average T.V ratings have increased dramatically over the past few months. Remarkably,  it remains the second most popular sport on modern television.

Inevitably, there is no doubt that the rise in viewerships are an accurate reflection of the anticipation for the upcoming 2012-2013 fall season of sports—whether its hockey, basketball, football, or a combination of all three, the excitement is certainly in the air.

Leave a comment below and let us know what you think about the upcoming games!