Over 30 Million People Watch SNF’s Dallas-Washington; Sunday Night Football is Again No. 1 in Primetime

Ok, we have a two part post for you. This is on Sunday Night Football’s boffo ratings for both Week 17 and the entire season.

For last Sunday, the Dallas Cowboys-DC NFL Football Team game garnered an average viewing audience of over 30 million people making this the most watched NBC regular season primetime game. In addition, the game received a final US household rating of 17.0 with a 27 share and that is the highest-rated regular season primetime game on NBC ever. So if you think there’s no reason for the flex, then think again. Dallas-Washington games are the two most-watched programs of the 2012-13 television season to date.

It’s the most watched primetime program in 2012 (not including the London Olympics) since the Academy Awards on ABC in February which had 39.3 million viewers.

So here’s the NBC press release for last Sunday’s season finale.

Sunday Night FootballCOWBOYS-REDSKINS IS MOST-WATCHED & HIGHEST-RATED NBC REGULAR-SEASON PRIMETIME GAME EVER

30.3 Million & 17.0 Rating Top ALL NBC Regular-Season Primetime NFL Games Cowboys-Redskins is Most-Watched and Highest-Rated NFL Game this Season
Most-Watched NFL Regular-Season Primetime Game in 16 Years
Highest-Rated NFL Regular-Season Primetime Game in 15 Years

NEW YORK – January 3, 2013 – The Cowboys-Redskins Sunday Night Football game on NBC is now the most-watched and highest-rated NFL regular-season primetime game ever on NBC, the most-watched NFL regular-season primetime game on any network in 16 years, and the highest-rated and most-watched NFL game this season, according to official national data released today by The Nielsen Company.

Sunday’s game on NBC, in which the Redskins defeated the Cowboys, 28-18, to win the NFC East in America’s game of the week, was seen by 30.3 million viewers, 10 percent higher than last year’s Week 17 game (Cowboys-Giants, 27.62 million), which was also a win-and-in game to determine the winner of the NFC East, and the previous most-watched NBC regular-season primetime NFL game. It also topped the 28.7 million for the Redskins-Cowboys Thanksgiving Day game on Fox, which had been the most-watched NFL game on ANY network this season.

Other Viewership and Ratings Notes for Cowboys-Redskins:

  • Most-watched regular-season primetime game on ANY network in 16 years (Packers-Cowboys, 31.5 million, Nov. 18, 1996 on ABC).
  • Most-watched NFL primetime regular-season final game in 18 years (32.0 million for 49ers-Vikings, Dec. 26, 1994 on ABC).Most-watched Cowboys-Redskins regular-season primetime game in 19 years (31.1 million on Sept. 6, 1993 on ABC).
  • The Cowboys-Redskins game received a 17.0 national household rating and a 27 share, up eight percent from last year’s Week 17 game (Cowboys-Giants, 15.7/25), making it the highest-rated Sunday Night Football broadcast ever.
  • The two highest-rated NFL games this season are Sunday’s Cowboys-Redskins game and the Sunday Night Football Week 1 game (Steelers-Broncos, 16.5/26).
  • Cowboys-Redskins game is most-watched television program on any network (not including the London Olympics) since the Academy Awards (39.3 million on Feb. 26, 2012).

MOST WATCHED NFL REGULAR-SEASON PRIMETIME GAMES ON NBC:

1. 30.3 million Cowboys-Redskins 12/30/12 (Sunday Night’s Game)
2. 27.62 million Cowboys-Giants 1/1/12 (2011 SNF Week 17)
3. 27.57 million Steelers-Broncos 9/9/12 (2012 SNF Week 1)
4. 27.5 million Vikings-Saints 9/9/10 (2010 Thursday Night Opener)*
5. 27.1 million Saints-Packers 9/8/11 (2011 Thursday Night Opener)*
6. 25.8 million Cowboys-Jets 9/11/11 (2011 SNF Week 1)
7. 25.73 million Eagles-Cowboys 12/12/10 (2010 SNF Week 14)
8. 25.68 million Vikings-Packers 10/24/10, (Favre Return to Lambeau II)
9. 25.3 million Cowboys-Redskins 9/12/10 (2010 SNF Week 1)
10. 24.8 million Giants-Cowboys 9/20/09 (Cowboys Stadium Debut)

* NFL Kickoff Games

HIGHEST-RATED NFL REGULAR-SEASON PRIMETIME GAMES ON NBC:

1. 17.0/27 Cowboys-Redskins, 12/30/12
T2. 16.5/28 Vikings-Saints, 9/9/10*
T2. 16.5/26 Steelers- Broncos, 9/9/12
4. 16.0/26 Saints-Packers, 9/8/11*
5. 15.7/25 Cowboys-Giants, 1/1/12
6. 15.4/25 Vikings-Packers, 10/24/10
7. 15.3/25 Cowboys-Jets, 9/11/11
8. 15.2/24 Eagles-Cowboys, 12/12/10
9. 15.1/25 Giants-Cowboys, 9/20/09
10.15.0/25 Cowboys-Redskins, 9/12/10

* NFL Kickoff Games

TOP 10 METERED MARKETS FOR COWBOYS-REDSKINS:

1. Washington D.C. 44.6/68
2. Richmon 42.8/60
3. Norfolk 7.1/53
4. Dallas 36.9/55
T5. San Antonio 28.4/44
T5. Austin 28.4/48
7. Albuquerque 27.6/41
8. Baltimore 23.9/35
T9. Greensboro 23.6/35
T9. New Orleans 23.6/3

A look at Sunday Night Football’s season is coming after the jump.

Now a look at the ratings for the season for SNF. According to NBC, it’s the number one show in primetime for the fall season marking the third year in a row it has achieved that distinction.

Sunday Night Football averaged a 12.8 rating with a 20 share for the season. The average viewership for the full season was 21.4 million people. Last year’s average was 12.9/20 and 21.5 million.

Here’s the press release.

SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL ON NBC IS, ONCE AGAIN, PRIMETIME TELEVISION’S NO. 1 SHOW

SNF is No. 2 Show Among Women 18-34 and No. 3 Show Among Women 18-49
11 Games with More Than 20.5 Million Viewers

Sunday Night Football on NBC finished this season as the No. 1 show in primetime (Viewers 2+, household rating, all key adult and male demos, based on Nielsen live + same day data). This marks the third straight fall season, and the only three times on record, that a sports series has been the most-watched show of the primetime TV season at the end of the NFL regular season.

Last year, Sunday Night Football became the first sports series to be the No. 1 show of the entire primetime television season (September-May), and it is on pace to achieve that milestone once again.

SNF: NO. 1 PRIMETIME PROGRAM FOR SEASON: For the primetime television season (9/24/12-12/30/12), Sunday Night Football ranks as the most-watched show (persons 2+), the 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.

  • Additionally, SNF is the No. 2 show among Women 18-34 behind only The Voice, and, No. 3 among Women 18-49 behind only The Voice and Big Bang Theory.

NOTE: The primetime television season began on Monday, Sept. 24 and does not include NBC’s Wednesday night opening game or the first three Sunday Night Football games of the season. Those four games averaged 23.5 million viewers.

SNF RANK AMONG PRIMETIME SHOWS (FULL TV SEASON):

2012 1st (Through 12/30/12) (Fall Season No. 1 Show)/b>
2011 1st (Fall Season No. 1 Show)
2010 3rd (Fall Season No. 1 Show)
2009 4th (Fall Season No. 2 Show)
2008 8th (Fall Season No. 5 Show)
2007 8th (Fall Season No. 7 Show)/td>
2006 9th (Fall Season No. 7 Show)

SNF FINAL AVERAGE VIEWERSHIP: Sunday Night Football averaged 21.4 million viewers for the 2012 season, less than one percent below last year’s season average of 21.5 million.

  • The 2010, 2011 and 2012 seasons of Sunday Night Football are the first three seasons that an NFL primetime package drew more than 21 million viewers since the 1994-1996 seasons of Monday Night Football on ABC.
  • The final average household rating of 12.8/20 (19 games) is on pace with the last two seasons of Sunday Night Football and just one-tenth off of last year’s 12.9/20.

SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL> ON NBC FULL SEASON:

YEAR Viewers 2+ HH Rating/Share
2012 21.4 million, 12.8/20
2011 21.5 million, 12.9/20
2010 21.8 million, 13.0/21
2009 19.4 million, 11.7/19
2008 16.6 million, 10.2/16
2007 16.0 million, 10.0/16
2006 17.5 million, 11.0/18

NBC PRIMETIME GAMES WITH 20.5 MILLION-OR-MORE VIEWERS: This season, 11 NBC primetime NFL games surpassed 20.5 million viewers, tying 2010 for the most in NBC’s seven-year Sunday Night Football history. Last year there were 10 games to surpass 20.5 million. In 2009, there were seven games that surpassed 20.5 million viewers, and from 2006-2008 a total of six games reached that milestone.

SNF GAMES WITH MORE THAN 20.5 MILLION VIEWERS PER SEASON:

012 – 11
2011 – 10
2010 – 11
2009 – 7
2008 – 2
2007 – 1
2006 – 3

MORE ARE WATCHING NFL FOOTBALL ON SUNDAY NIGHTS: In the seven years since the shift of the NFL’s premier primetime package from Monday to Sunday nights, Sunday Night Football is averaging 5.2 million more viewers (21.4 million) than the last season of Monday Night Football on ABC in 2005 (16.2 million).

SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL TOP 30 METERED MARKETS – FULL 2012 SEASON:

1. Milwaukee 22.1/33
2. New Orleans 20.9/29
3. Las Vegas 18.9/29
4. Richmond 18.8/28
5. Denver 18.7/32
6. Norfolk 18.2/27
7. Pittsburgh 18.0/28
T8. Dallas 17.1/28
T8. Albuquerque 17.1/26
T10. Baltimore 16.9/26
T10. San Diego 16.9/29
12. Indianapolis 16.7/26
13. Sacramento 16.4/27
14. Washington D.C. 16.1/27
15. Memphis 15.9/23
16. Houston 15.6/25
17. Nashville 15.3/22
T18. Atlanta 14.7/23
T18. Phoenix 14.7/24
20. Austin 14.5/24
21. Charlotte 14.4/23
22. Providence 14.3/23
23. San Antonio 14.2/22
T24. Boston 14.1/24
T24. Seattle 14.1/26
T24. Greensboro 14.1/21
27. Kansas City 13.9/22
T28. Philadelphia 13.8/21
T28. Jacksonville 13.8/21
T28. Dayton 13.8/21

And that’s going to do it.

About Ken Fang

Ken has been covering the sports media in earnest at his own site, Fang's Bites since May 2007 and at Awful Announcing since March 2013. He provides a unique perspective having been an award-winning radio news reporter in Providence and having worked in local television. Fang celebrates the three Boston Red Sox World Championships in the 21st Century, but continues to be a long-suffering Cleveland Browns fan.

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