This from NBC Sports, we learn that last Sunday’s NFC East Division showdown between the Dallas Cowboys and the New York Giants became the most watched game in the history of the Sunday Night Football series. And it was the most watched primetime game on any network dating back to 1996. The average audience for last Sunday’s game was 27.6 million viewers eclipsing the previous NBC high of 27.5 million for the 2010 NFL season opener between the Minnesota Vikings and New Orleans Saints.
The rating for the game ended at a very impressive 15.7 with a 25 share, up considerably from last season’s Week 17 contest between the St. Louis Rams and the Seattle Seahawks which drew a 11.3/18. Take a look at the press release.
COWBOYS-GIANTS IS MOST-WATCHED NBC PRIMETIME GAME EVER
27.6 Million Tops ALL Sunday Night Football Broadcasts Including Thursday NFL Kickoff Games
Most-Watched NFL Regular-Season Primetime Game in 15 YearsNEW YORK – January 4, 2012 – The Cowboys-Giants game on Sunday Night Football was the most-watched NFL regular-season primetime game ever on NBC and the most-watched NFL regular-season primetime game on any network in 15 years, according to official national data released today by The Nielsen Company.
Sunday’s game on NBC, in which the Giants defeated the Cowboys, 31-14, to win the NFC East, was seen by 27.6 million viewers, 42 percent higher than last year’s Week 17 game (Rams-Seahawks, 19.4 million), which was also a win-and-in game to determine the winner of the NFC West, and topped the previous NBC NFL primetime viewership record (27.5 million for Vikings-Saints NFL Thursday Kickoff on Sept. 9, 2010).
Other Ratings Notes:
- Most-watched regular-season primetime game on ANY network in 15 years (Packers-Cowboys, 31.5 million, Nov. 18, 1996 on ABC).
- Most-watched NFL primetime regular-season final game in 17 years (32.0 million for 49ers-Vikings, Dec. 26, 1994 on ABC).
MOST WATCHED NFL REGULAR-SEASON PRIMETIME GAMES ON NBC:
1. 27.6 million, Cowboys-Giants, 1/1/12 (Sunday Night’s Game)
2. 27.5 million, Vikings-Saints, 9/9/10 (2010 Thursday Night Opener)*
3. 27.2 million, Saints-Packers, 9/8/11 (2011 Thursday Night Opener)*
4. 25.8 million, Cowboys-Jets, 9/11/11 (2011 SNF Week 1)
5. 25.73 million, Eagles-Cowboys, 12/12/10 (2010 SNF Week 14)
6. 25.68 million, Vikings-Packers, 10/24/10, (Favre Return to Lambeau II)
7. 25.3 million, Cowboys-Redskins, 9/12/10 (2010 SNF: Week 1)
8. 24.8 million, Giants-Cowboys, 9/20/09 (Dallas Cowboys Stadium Debut)
9. 24.5 million, Giants-Cowboys, 12/11/11 (2011 SNF Week 14)
10. 24.2 million, Packers-Patriots, 12/19/10 (2010 SNF Week 15)*Thursday NFL Kickoff Games
The Cowboys-Giants game received a 15.7 national household rating and a 25 share, up 39 percent from last year’s Week 17 game (Rams-Seahawks, 11.3/18), and making it the highest-rated Sunday Night Football broadcast ever (excluding Thursday NFL Kickoff games).
Coming up next, the season ratings for Sunday Night Football and the NFL on Fox.
