In a game NBC and the NFL tried to flex out last week, the Peacock Network will try to hype the originally scheduled Baltimore Ravens-San Diego Chargers game. While it’s a game that Al Michaels gets to drive to from his Los Angeles home, I’m sure he and Cris Collinsworth would have preferred to call the New England Patriots-Denver Broncos game which the NFL had wanted to flex to primetime. But you deal with the hand you’re given and I’m sure Al will attempt make this sound like a big event.
We have the NBC press release touting the Ravens-Chargers for you.
“SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL,” NO. 1 SHOW ON PRIMETIME TELEVISON, TRAVELS TO SAN DIEGO FOR RAVENS-CHARGERS
COVERAGE BEGINS WITH FOOTBALL NIGHT IN AMERICA AT 7 PM ET
Sunday Night Football is Most-Watched and Highest-Rated Show of Primetime Television Season
“He looks like he’s a different quarterback now.” – Rodney Harrison on Flacco
“San Diego is starting to get their identity back.” – Tony DungyNEW YORK – December 15, 2011 – Philip Rivers and the San Diego Chargers (6-7) look to stay alive in the AFC playoff race as they host the AFC North-leading Baltimore Ravens (10-3) on Sunday Night Football, the most-watched and highest-rated show on primetime television.
Calling Ravens-Chargers will be six-time Emmy Award-winner Al Michaels (play-by-play), in his 26th season as the voice of the NFL’s premier primetime package; 12-time Emmy Award-winner Collinsworth, who won the Emmy for outstanding event analyst in both of his seasons in the Sunday Night Football booth; and sideline reporter Michele Tafoya, in her first season on SNF.
Coverage begins Sunday with Football Night in America at 7 p.m. ET with 22-time Emmy Award-winner Bob Costas hosting the program live from inside the stadium. Costas is joined on site by Michaels and Collinsworth for reaction to the afternoon games.
Dan Patrick co-hosts Football Night from Studio 8G at NBC’s 30 Rockefeller Plaza studios and is joined by Super Bowl-winning head coach Tony Dungy, two-time Super Bowl winner Rodney Harrison, Peter King of Sports Illustrated and Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk on NBCSports.com. Alex Flanagan will report from Sports Authority Field at Mile High in Denver, Colo., on the Bears-Broncos game.
HARRISON ON RAVENS: “Baltimore is a different team since they went up to Seattle and they lost. What they’re doing now is they’re starting to run the ball with Ray Rice, take some of that pressure off of Joe Flacco, and he looks like he’s a different quarterback now.”
DUNGY ON CHARGERS: “San Diego is starting to get their identity back. Gates is back healthy, Malcolm Floyd – they’re scoring a lot of points, but I think they’ve got one big problem this week. Left tackle Marcus McNeill, a pro-bowler, is out. They’ve got a backup tackle trying to block Terrell Suggs, and Suggs has been on fire.”
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SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL DOMINATES PRIMETIME
Through 15 weeks of the NFL season (14 Sunday’s and one Thursday), Sunday Night Football is averaging 21.3 million viewers, and a household rating of 12.9/20.
- For the primetime television season,* Sunday Night Football ranks as the most-watched (persons 2+) and highest-rated show, and the No. 1 program across the key demographics of Adults 18-49, 18-34, 25-54 as well as Men 18-49, 18-34 and 25-54, based on Nielsen live + same day data. Additionally, SNF is the No. 4 show among Women 18-34 behind only New Girl, Modern Family and Glee.
*NOTE: The primetime television season began on Sept. 19 and does not include the first three NBC primetime games (Thursday night NFL Kickoff Opener and first two SNF games).
· The critically acclaimed Football Night in America is the most-watched and highest-rated NFL pregame show averaging 8.9 million viewers and a household rating of 5.4/9 (7:30-8:15 p.m. ET) through 15 weeks, up five percent and six percent, respectively, through the same period last year, and the most in the six-year history of Football Night.
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REMAINING 2011 SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
Sun. Dec. 18 *Week 15 Ravens at Chargers (no change)
Sun. Dec. 25 Week 16 Bears at Packers
Sun. Jan. 1 *Week 17 TBA*Flex Week
And that’s it for today. I’m out for the rest of the day.
