NBC may not have the greatest primetime ratings for its scripted and reality shows, but when it comes to football, it’s practically on top of the heap. The Peacocks are crowing about the overnight ratings for both the NFL regular season opener on Thursday between New Orleans and Green Bay as well as the Sunday Night Football season premiere between the Dallas Cowboys and New York Jets. The two games averaged 17.1 which NBC says ties last year Thursday/Sunday combo and is the best since the NFL began the Thursday/Sunday opening weekend in 2002.
In addition, Sunday’s 16.9 rating with a 27 share is 3% higher than last year’s Week 1 opener which had the Cowboys and DC NFL team square off. Quite impressive. And NBC says last night’s game had the highest overnight rating since the Sunday Night series began on NBC in 2006.
Here’s the press release.
BEST SEASON OPENING SUNDAY/MONDAY PRIMETIME OVERNIGHT RATING IN 15 YEARS
Best Sunday Night Football Overnight Ever
16.9 For Last Night’s Game Up 3% Over Last Year’s SNF Opener; Up 26% Over 2009 SNF Opener
BACK TO FOOTBALL: Two-Game Average of 17.1 Ties 2010 for Best Since Inception of Thursday/Sunday Format in 2002 SNF Is Best Sunday Primetime Overnight Since February 27NEW YORK – Sept. 12, 2011 – Last night’s Sunday Night Football opener featuring the Cowboys vs. Jets on NBC had the best overnight for any Week 1 primetime game on Sunday or Monday night in 15 years, was up three percent over last year’s SNF opener and 26 percent over the 2009 SNF opener, and is the top rated Sunday Night Football game ever, according to overnight data released today by The Nielsen Company.
The Jets 27-24 victory over the Cowboys earned a 16.9 overnight rating and 27 share (8:30-11:45 p.m. ET), the best overnight for any Sunday or Monday night Week 1 primetime game since Sept. 2, 1996 (Cowboys-Bears, 20.2/33 on ABC) and the best Sunday Night Football overnight rating since the NFL’s premier primetime package moved to NBC in 2006.
The 16.9/27 is up three percent over last year’s SNF season opener (Cowboys-Redskins, 16.4/26) and up 26 percent over the 2009 SNF season opener (Bears-Packers, 13.4/22). The rating peaked at an 18.2/34 from 11:30-11:45 p.m. ET.
BACK TO FOOTBALL: NBC’s two-game overnight average of a 17.1/28 ties last year for the best since the NFL created the Thursday/Sunday primetime weekend in 2002 and is up 26 percent over the opening two games in 2009 (13.6/23).
DOMINATED PRIMETIME: From 8:30-11 p.m., Sunday Night Football averaged a 16.7/26, 142 percent higher than second-place CBS (6.9/10). NBC beat the combined 8:30-11 p.m. averages of CBS, ABC (3.4/5) and Fox (2.9/5, 8:30-10 p.m.) by 27 percent.
NBC’s 12.8/21 from 7-11 p.m. in metered-market households is the highest Sunday average for any network since ABC televised the Academy Awards on February 27.
TOP 10 SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL OVERNIGHT RATING/SHARE EVER:
*Sunday’s only
1. 9/11/11, Cowboys-Jets 16.9/27 (Last Night’s Game)
T2. 9/20/09, Giants-Cowboys 16.5/27 (Dallas Cowboys Stadium Debut)
T2. 12/12/10, Eagles-Cowboys 16.5/25 (2010 SNF Week 14)
4. 9/12/10, Cowboys-Redskins 16.4/26 (Last Year’s SNF Opener)
5. 10/24/10, Vikings/Packers 16.0/25 (Favre’s Return to Lambeau II)
6. 11/21/10, Giants-Eagles 15.9/24 (2010 SNF Week 11)
7. 11/25/07, Eagles-Patriots 15.6/24 (2007 SNF Week 12)
8. 12/14/08, Giants-Cowboys 15.4/24 (2008 SNF Week 15)
T9. 9/19/10, Giants-Colts 15.2/24 (“Manning Bowl II”)
T9. 12/19/10, Packers-Patriots 15.2/24 (2010 SNF Week 15)
T9. 12/28/10, Vikings-Eagles 15.2/24 (2010 SNF Week 16 – Tuesday Game)WEEK ONE SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL GAMES:
1. 9/11/11, Cowboys-Jets 16.9/27
2. 9/12/10, Cowboys-Redskins 16.4/26
3. 9/10/06, Colts-Giants 14.7/23
4. 9/9/07, Giants-Cowboys 13.6/22
5. 9/13/09, Bears-Packers 13.4/22
6. 9/7/08, Bears-Colts 13.0/20TOP 10 METERED MARKETS FOR COWBOYS-JETS:
1. Dallas 38.8/58
2. San Antonio 28.1/40
3. Austin 26.2/41
4. New Orleans 24.7/33
5. Las Vegas 23.3/36
6. Albuquerque 22.5/35
7. Oklahoma City 22.1/32
8. Richmond 20.7/31
9. Houston 20.5/31
10. Norfolk 19.9/29
*The New York market ranked No. 11 with a 19.7/30 overnight rating
That will do it.
