This from NBC, the Sunday Night Football turnover-filled overtime game between the Denver Broncos and New England Patriots that spilled way past midnight on the East Coast scored very well.
It garnered a 17.0 overnight rating with a 28 share, the fifth-highest number for Sunday Night Football since NBC took over the series in 2006. NBC spins that this us the best overnight rating for a November primetime NFL contest dating back to 1996.
In the local markets, Denver topped the country with an astounding 48.2/71. Boston was second with a very good 37.3/59. Providence rounds out the top three finishing with a 30.2/46.
We have the official word from the public relations department of the Sports division of the National Broadcasting Company, part of Comcast.
BRONCOS-PATRIOTS OVERTIME THRILLER ON NBC’S SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL POSTS 17.0 OVERNIGHT – TOPS FOR A PRIMETIME NOVEMBER GAME IN 17 YEARS
SNF Overnight Peaks at 17.9 from 11:30 PM-Midnight
Broncos-Patriots Game More than Doubles
No. 2 American Music AwardsSTAMFORD, Conn. – November 25, 2013 – Last night’s NBC Sunday Night Football thriller featuring Tom Brady leading the New England Patriots to a team-record setting 34-31 overtime win against Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos in “Manning-Brady XIV” – the 14th meeting between the future Hall of Fame quarterbacks – posted a 17.0 overnight rating and 28 share (8:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m. ET) marking the best primetime overnight for a November game in 17 years and a 26% increase over last season’s Week 12 SNF game (13.5 for Green Bay-New York Giants).
The Patriots’ epic comeback victory – they trailed 24-0 at halftime – kept viewers tuned in late, as the SNF overnight rating peaked from 11:30 p.m.-midnight ET at 17.9/34 (full half-hour rating chart below). In addition, SNF more than doubled the overnight rating of primetime’s second-ranked entertainment show for the night – the American Music Awards (8.2/12 on ABC)
Coupled with last week’s 16.6/27 overnight for Kansas City-Denver, NBC’s back-to-back SNF contests are the first consecutive primetime games (not including NFL Kickoff games) since ‘96 in which a network posted overnight ratings of 16.6 or higher.
Brady passed for 344 yards and three touchdowns as the Patriots posted the largest come-from-behind victory in club history after trailing 24-0 in the first half. Brady led New England (now 8-3) to 31 consecutive second-half points to take a 31-24 fourth-quarter lead before Manning capped a 10-play, 80-yard Denver scoring drive with a game-tying 11-yard TD pass to Demaryius Thomas with 3:06 left in regulation. Denver (9-2) and New England each had two possessions in overtime before Stephen Gostkowski kicked the 31-yard game-winning field goal with 1:56 remaining.
The previous best November primetime NFL overnight was an 18.0/29 for Pittsburgh-Miami on ABC on November 25, 1996, as Kordell Stewart rushed for a touchdown and Mike Tomczak threw a TD pass to lead the first-place Steelers to a 24-17 come-from-behind win over Dan Marino (254 passing yards & 1 TD) and the Dolphins. The week prior, on November 18, 1996, the defending Super Bowl-champion Dallas Cowboys’ 21-6 win over Brett Favre and the Green Bay Packers on ABC posted a 21.5/32 overnight.
The Patriots’ memorable Sunday Night Football victory is the fifth-highest Sunday overnight in the eight-year history of NBC’s primetime package (excluding “NFL Kickoff” games) and ranks second this season behind the 17.3 for Manning’s return to Indianapolis on October 20.
In the Adults 18-49 demographic, Sunday Night Football easily won the night posting a 10.4 rating (in the 25 markets used to calculate the overnight demo) – 108% better than the top entertainment show in the demo (5.0 for American Music Awards).
Following is a look at the ratings by half hour.
Half Hours (all times ET) — HH Rating/Share
8:30p — 16.6/25
9p — 17.8/26
9:30p — 17.3/25
10p — 15.4/24
10:30p — 16.0/26
11p — 17.2/30
11:30p — 17.9/34
12a — 17.6/37Top 10 Metered Markets:
1. Denver, 48.2/71
2. Boston, 37.3/59
3. Providence, 30.2/46
4. Albuquerque, 24.5/36
5. Indianapolis, 24.2/40
6. New Orleans, 23.6/34
7. Las Vegas, 22.8/35
8. Seattle, 21.9/35
9. Sacramento, 21.6/33
10. San Diego, 21.3/35
