In a season that has been just about dismal for NBC programming-wise, one bright spot has been Sunday Night Football which has been drawing in the ratings for the Peacock. Other areas like the 10 p.m. timeslot has been next to pitiful and Jay Leno’s Show of Hacks has not recovered from last year’s debacle over Conan O’Brien.
But one thing NBC can crow over is the NFL and we have the release showing that Sunday Night Football is drawing the best average viewership for network TV primetime TV since Monday Night Football was on ABC.
“SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL”: BEST AVERAGE VIEWERSHIP IN 14 YEARS
No. 1 Show on Sunday Night For 6th Straight Week vs. Original Programming and Baseball PlayoffsNo. 1 Primetime Show of the Week in All Key Adult and Male Demos For 6th Straight WeekNo. 1 Primetime Show on Television in All Key Adult and Male DemosNEW YORK – October 19, 2010 – Through the first six weeks of the NFL season, “Sunday Night Football” is averaging 21.4 million viewers, the most for the first six weeks of a primetime NFL package in 14 years (24.5 million in 1996 on ABC). “Sunday Night Football” was the No. 1 show on Sunday night for the sixth consecutive week and the No. 1 show of the week in the key advertising demographics and is the No. 1 show of the primetime television season in all adult and male demographics, according to official national data released today by The Nielsen Company.
- NBC’s six-week viewership of 21.4 million is nearly two million more than and nine percent above last year’s 19.7 million for the opening six weeks of the NFL season and up 29 percent over the first six weeks in 2008 (16.6 million).
- “Sunday Night Football,” featuring the Indianapolis Colts 27-24 victory over the Washington Redskins, was seen by 19.1 million viewers, the best NFL primetime viewership when head-to-head with an LCS in 13 years (Cowboys-Redskins, 19.6 million on 10/13/97 on ABC).
SNF NOW 6 FOR 6: With 19.1 million viewers, “Sunday Night Football” was the most-watched regularly scheduled primetime show on Sunday night for the sixth straight week this season, on a night that faced strong sports competition with NLCS on Fox in addition to original programs including ABC’s Desperate Housewives and Brothers & Sisters, CBS’s 60 Minutes, Amazing Race, Undercover Boss and CSI Miami.Last season, SNF was the most-watched Sunday night primetime broadcast in a record 15 of 16 (94 percent) weeks. In 2008, SNF won 13 of 16 (81 percent) Sunday nights after winning 11 of 16 in 2007 (69 percent) and nine of 16 in 2006 (56 percent).NO. 1 SHOW OF THE WEEK: For the sixth straight week “Sunday Night Football” was the No. 1 regularly-scheduled primetime broadcast of the week by a wide margin among Adults 18-49, the coveted advertiser demographic, as well as among Adults 18-34, Adults 25-54, Men 18-34, 18-49 and 25-54.
- For the week, “Sunday Night Football” has a 54 percent margin of victory over the No. 2 show in Adults 18-49 (4.8 for Modern Family on ABC).
- Through six weeks of the NFL season, “Sunday Night Football” stands as the most-watched primetime show on television, and the No. 1 regularly scheduled primetime show in all key adult and male demos.
SNF AVERAGE VIEWERSHIP THROUGH SIX WEEKS:1. 2010, 21.4 million2. 2009, 19.7 million3. 2006, 17.2 million4. 2008, 16.6 million5. 2007, 16.5 millionThe 11.7/19 national rating for Sunday night’s game is seven percent ahead of last year’s Week 6 SNF game (Bears-Falcons, 10.9/17). The six-week average household rating of 12.9/21 is a full rating point and eight percent higher than last year’s first six weekends (11.9/19) and 26 percent ahead of the first six weeks in 2008 (10.2/17).TOP METERED MARKETS FOR COLTS-REDSKINS:1. Indianapolis, 43.8/582. Washington D.C., 30.4/463. Richmond, 24.0/354. Norfolk, 23.1/335. New Orleans, 22.6/396. Nashville, 21.8/307. Las Vegas, 19.9/308. Baltimore, 16.6/259. Knoxville, 16.5/2310. Greensboro, 15.3/23
There you have it.
