"Excellence in Broadcasting" was broadcast on October 3, 2010, as a part of an animated television night on Fox, and was preceded by "The Simpsons", and "Family Guy" creator and executive producer Seth MacFarlane's spin-off, "The Cleveland Show", and followed by the 100th episode of "American Dad!". It was watched by 7.94 million viewers, according to Nielsen ratings, despite airing simultaneously with "Desperate Housewives" on ABC, the season premiere of "Undercover Boss" on CBS and "Sunday Night Football" on NBC. The episode also acquired a 3.9 rating in the 18–49 demographic, beating "American Dad!" and "The Cleveland Show" in addition to significantly edging out both shows in total viewership. The episode's ratings decreased significantly from the show's season premiere.