Whether it had something to do with a less attractive matchup between Chicago and Minnesota, a blowout win by the Bears or baseball on TBS, NBC’s Sunday Night Football saw a lower viewership for Sunday Night Football than in past weeks. In fact, it was the lowest viewership of the season to date, garnering an audience of 16.6 million people. That’s down 13% from last year’s Week 6 game between Indianapolis and Washington.
The rating finished at 10.1 with a 16 share, down last year from the 11.7/19 SNF had for Indy-Washington.
However, the good news for NBC is that it still won the night in primetime over all competition and the average viewership remains over 20 million. Plus, NBC won in the key 18-49 demographic which it covets.
Here’s the press release from NBC.
16.6 MILLION WATCH VIKINGS-BEARS SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL ON NBC
Seven-Game Average of 22.2 Million Viewers is Best in 6-Year SNF History
SNF No. 1 Primetime Program of the Week in All Key Adult and Male DemographicsNEW YORK – October 18, 2011 – Despite the 39-10 blowout that saw the Chicago Bears (now 3-3) defeat the Minnesota Vikings (now 1-5), Sunday Night Football was the most-watched program on Sunday night for the sixth straight week and the No. 1 show of the week in the key advertising demographic of Adults 18-49, according to official national data released today by The Nielsen Company.
Through six weeks, SNF is averaging 22.2 million, the most in the six-year history of Sunday Night Football.
The game drew 16.6 million viewers, 13 percent lower than last year’s Week 6 game, which drew 19.1 million viewers in a matchup of two teams with winning records with the Colts defeating the Redskins, 27-24.
The household rating for Vikings-Bears of 10.1/16 is down from last year’s Week 6 game (11.7/19).
The Adult 18-49 rating of 6.6 ranked Sunday Night Football as the No. 1 primetime program of the week in the key advertiser demographic. SNF was also the No.1 primetime program of the week in all other key adult and male demographics.
SNF STARTS STRONG: Through the first six weeks of the NFL season (six Sunday’s and one Thursday), Sunday Night Football is averaging 22.2 million viewers, four percent higher than last year (21.4 million) and the most through this point in the season in the six-year history of SNF.
- The Adult 18-49 demo rating of 7.9 places Sunday Night Football as the No. 1 show of the primetime television season* in the key advertiser demographic (“live plus same day”).
- Additionally, SNF currently stands No. 1 among all primetime programs for the television season among Adults 18-34 and all male demographics, and No. 2 among viewers only behind CBS’ Two and a Half Men (“live plus same day”).
*NOTE: The primetime television season started on Sept. 19 and does not include the first three NBC primetime games (Thursday night NFL Kickoff Opener and first two SNF games). Including those three games, SNF is the most-watched and highest-rated show on primetime television.
SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL THROUGH 6 WEEKS:
2011: 22.2 million
2010: 21.4 million, up four percent
2009: 19.7 million, up 13 percent
2008: 16.6 million, up 34 percent
2007: 16.5 million, up 35 percent
2006: 17.2 million, up 29 percent
- The six-week average household rating of 13.3/21 is three percent higher than last year’s 12.9/21 and 12 percent ahead of 2009 (11.9/19) through the same point in the season.
The critically acclaimed Football Night in America is averaging 9.2 million viewers and a household rating of 5.6/9 (7:30-8:15 p.m. ET) through the first six weeks, both up 14 percent from last year’s first six weeks.
SNF IS NO. 1 SHOW OF SUNDAY NIGHT AGAIN: The Vikings-Bears broadcast was the No. 1 show of Sunday night in households, total viewers and all key adult and male demographics (excluding NFL overruns).
- Sunday Night Football powered NBC to a Sunday night primetime win, with the network averaging 14.5 million viewers from 7:30-11 p.m., 6 percent ahead of second-place Fox (13.6 million), which benefited from an NFL overrun.
SNF 7-FOR-7: With 16.6 million viewers for Vikings-Bears, Sunday Night Football starts the season seven-for-seven versus its competition. This continues a trend for SNF dominating Sunday nights. Last season, “Sunday Night Football” was the No. 1 show all 18 nights (100 percent) vs. its competition (16 Sundays, one Tuesday and one Thursday).
- 2011 – 7 of 7 (Six Sundays, one Thursday – 100 percent)
- 2010 – 18 of 18 (16 Sundays, one Tuesday and one Thursday – 100 percent)
- 2009 – 15 of 16 Sundays (94 percent)
- 2008 – 13 of 16 Sundays (81 percent)
- 2007 – 11 of 16 Sundays (69 percent)
- 2006 – nine of 16 Sundays (56 percent)
TOP 10 METERED MARKETS FOR VIKINGS-BEARS:
1. Chicago, 32.5/46
2. Minneapolis, 31.4/46
3. Las Vegas, 16.9/26
4. Norfolk, 14.6/21
5. Indianapolis, 14.3/21
6. San Diego, 14.0/24
7. Kansas City, 13.4/19
8. Milwaukee, 12.6/17
9. Richmond, 12.5/19
T10. Albuquerque, 12.3/18
T10. Sacramento, 12.3/22
That will do it.
