From NBC Sports we get this notice that Sunday Night Football was 17 for 17 in primetime this season, finishing #1 for all of its games. It’s the number one show in primetime and averaged almost 22 million viewers for the season. Those are impressive numbers and it’s one of the few bright spots in NBC’s primetime schedule.
In addition, Sunday’s finale featuring the St. Louis Rams and Seattle Seahawks drew an 11.3/18 which is 13% higher than the Week 17 game from the previous season. Very solid for NBC.
“SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL” NO. 1 SHOW OF PRIMETIME SEASON; UNDEFEATED VS. COMPEITION IN 2010SNF No. 1 Show of Primetime TV Season Among Viewers and All Key Adult and Male DemosSNF Defeats Nightly Competition Every Game This SeasonFirst Time on Record That a Sports Series Has Been the Most-Watched Show From Start of Primetime Season to End of NFL Season“Sunday Night Football” Averages Record 21.8 Million Viewers“Football Night in America” Draws Record AudienceNEW YORK – Jan. 5, 2011 – “Sunday Night Football” finished the season as the No. 1 show in primetime (Viewers 2+, all key adult and male demos), the first time on record (since the advent of people meters in 1987) that a sports series has been the most-watched show from the start of the primetime TV season to the end of the NFL regular season, and defeated its nightly competition every week this season according to The Nielsen Company.“Nearly six years ago we worked with the NFL to create ‘Football Night in America’ – a night that America would reserve for football and over the five football seasons since, we have steadily built that night,” said Dick Ebersol, Chairman NBC Universal Sports and Olympics. “Thanks in large part to the incredible unscripted drama generated each week by the NFL and its players, the terrific schedule that the league has afforded us, our production team and on-camera talent whose passion and dedication translates into an unmatched viewing experience, and our broad promotion that reaches the casual fan, I am proud to say that “Sunday Night Football” has become No.1 show on primetime television.”“SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL” SEASON HIGHLIGHTS:
- SNF was the No. 1 show all 18 nights this season vs. its competition (16 Sundays, one Tuesday and one Thursday), averaging 21.8 million viewers (based on most current Nielsen figures), a gain of 12 percent from last year (19.4 million) and the best viewership for the NFL’s premier primetime broadcast package in 14 years.
- “Sunday Night Football’s” 13.0 household rating and 21 share for the 2010 season is 11 percent higher last year (11.7/19) and the best household rating for the NFL’s premier primetime package in more than a decade.
- In the five years since the shift of the NFL’s premier primetime package from Monday to Sunday nights, SNF is averaging 21.8 million viewers, more than five million more viewers than the last season of Monday Night Football on ABC (16.2 million in 2005).
- “Football Night in America” averaged 8.3 million viewers this season, up 12 percent over last season (7.4 million) and its best viewership ever.
In addition to the gains seen by “Sunday Night Football” on NBC in 2010, all of the NFL television partners (Fox, CBS, ESPN and NFL Network) will show increased viewership for the 2010 season. This marks the third year in a row that all NFL television partners have seen viewership increases. Final viewership numbers from Nielsen will be available later this week.SNF NO. 1 PRIMETIME PROGRAM FOR SEASON: For the primetime television season, “Sunday Night Football” ranked as the most-watched show (persons 2+) and the No. 1 program across the key demographics of Adults 18-49, 18-34, 25-54 as well as Men 18-49, 18-34 and 25-54, based on Nielsen live + same day data. Additionally, SNF is the No. 3 show among Women 18-34 behind only Grey’s Anatomy and Glee, and, remarkably, No. 3 among Women 18-49 behind only Dancing with the Stars and Grey’s Anatomy.SNF FINISHES SEASON UNDEFEATED: This season, “Sunday Night Football” was the No. 1 show all 18 nights (100 percent) vs. its competition (16 Sundays, one Tuesday and one Thursday). Last season, SNF was the most-watched Sunday night primetime broadcast in a then-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).SNF FINAL AVERAGE VIEWERSHIP: “Sunday Night Football” averaged 21.8 million viewers for the 2010 season, the most in its five-year history, 2.4 million more than last year (19.4 million) and 5.2 million more than 2008 (16.6 million). Additionally, the 21.8 million is the most for the NFL’s premier primetime package (SNF on NBC 2006-2010, MNF on ABC 1970-2005) since 1996 (22.7 million). The final average household rating of 13.0/21 is the best ever for “Sunday Night Football,” 11-percent higher than last year’s 11.7/19 and 27 percent ahead of 2008 (10.2/16).Viewers 2+ HH rtg.1. 2010, 21.8 million, 13.0/212. 2009, 19.4 million, 11.7/193. 2006, 17.5 million, 11.0/184. 2008, 16.6 million, 10.2/165. 2007, 16.0 million, 10.0/16NBC PRIMETIME GAMES WITH 20 MILLION-OR-MORE VIEWERS: This season, 11 NBC primetime NFL games surpassed 20 million viewers, the most in NBC’s five-year “Sunday Night Football” history. In 2009 there were seven to surpass 20 million and in 2006-2008 a total of six games reached that milestone.2010 – 112009 – 72008 – 22007 – 12006 – 3MOST WATCHED “SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL” GAMES: Seven of the Top 10 most-watched “Sunday Night Football” games ever took place this season.1. 12/12/10, Eagles-Cowboys, 25.73 million (SNF Week 14)2. 10/24/10, Vikings-Packers, 25.68 million (Favre Return to Lambeau II)3. 9/12/10, Cowboys-Redskins, 25.3 million (SNF: Week 1)4. 9/20/09, Giants-Cowboys, 24.8 million (Dallas Cowboys Stadium Debut)5. 12/19/10, Packers-Patriots, 24.2 million (SNF Week 15)6. 12/28/10, Vikings-Eagles, 23.7 million (SNF Week 16 – Tuesday Game)7. 11/21/10, Giants-Eagles, 23.2 million (SNF: Week 11)T8. 09/19/10, Giants-Colts, 23.1 million (“Manning Bowl II”)T8. 12/14/08, Giants-Cowboys, 23.1 million10. 9/10/06, Colts-Giants, 22.6 million (Original “Manning Bowl”)*The NFL Kickoff Opener on Thursday, Sept. 9, 2010 between the Vikings and Saints generated an average viewership of 27.5 million people.“FOOTBALL NIGHT” DRAWS RECORD AUDIENCE: The critically acclaimed “Football Night in America,” had its best season ever, drawing a record 8.3 million viewers (7:30-8:15 p.m. ET), a gain of 12 percent over last season (7.4 million), 32 percent over 2008 (6.3 million), 34 percent over 2007 (6.2 million) and 28 percent over 2006 (6.5 million).MORE ARE WATCHING NFL FOOTBALL ON SUNDAY NIGHTS: In the five years since the shift of the NFL’s premier primetime package from Monday to Sunday nights, “Sunday Night Football” is averaging 5.6 million more viewers (21.8 million) than the last season of Monday Night Football on ABC in 2005 (16.2 million).“NBC SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL” TOP 20 METERED MARKETSFULL 2010 SEASON:1. New Orleans, 25.0/342. Milwaukee, 21.9/333. Las Vegas, 20.8/314. Pittsburgh, 20.3/305. Norfolk, 20.2/296. Indianapolis, 19.7/297. Baltimore, 18.9/29T8. Minneapolis, 18.5/28T8. Richmond, 18.5/2810. Philadelphia, 18.4/2711. Nashville, 17.8/2512. Washington, D.C., 17.7/2813. San Diego, 17.2/2814. Dallas, 17.0/2715. Albuquerque, 16.0/24T16. Charlotte, 15.3/24T16. Kansas City, 15.3/2318. Chicago, 15.0/23T19. St. Louis, 14.7/22T19. Ft. Myers, 14.7/23WEEK 17 RAMS-SEAHAWKS NOTES: Sunday night’s Rams-Seahawks SNF game, in which the Seattle Seahawks defeated the St. Louis Rams 16-6 in a ‘win-and-in’ contest to clinch the NFC West title, drew 19.4 million viewers, 19 percent ahead of last year’s Week 17 game (Bengals-Jets, 16.3 million) and was the most-watched season-ending game in 13 years (Patriots-Dolphins, 21.8 million in 1997 on ABC).The 11.3/18 national rating for Sunday night’s game is 13 percent ahead of last year’s Week 17 SNF game (Bengals-Jets, 10.0/15).SNF TOP 2 SHOWS OF WEEK: For the week ending Jan. 2, 2011, the two most-watched shows on primetime television were both NFL primetime games on NBC with the special Tuesday edition of “Sunday Night Football” ranking No. 1 with 23.7 million and Sunday’s Rams-Seahawks game ranking No. 2 at 19.4 million.NFL SEASON-ENDING GAME VIEWERSHIP SINCE 19972010 1/2/2011 NBC StL-Sea 21.8 million2009 1/3/2010 NBC Cin-NYJ 16.3 million2008 12/28/2008 NBC Den-SD 14.8 million2007 12/30/2007 NBC Ten-Ind 15.8 million2006 12/31/2006 NBC GB-Chi 13.4 million2005 1/1/2006 ESPN StL-DAL 9.1 million2004 1/2/205 ESPN Dal-NYG 8.6 million2003 12/28/2003 ESPN Pit-Bal 10.4 million2002 12/30/2002 ABC SF-StL 13.1 million2001 1/7/2002 ABC Min-Bal 18.8 million2000 12/25/2000 ABC Dal-Ten 17.3 million1999 1/3/2000 ABC SF-Atl 14.8 million1998 12/28/1998 ABC Pit-Jax 16.8 million1997 12/22/1997 ABC NE-Mia 21.8 millionTOP METERED MARKETS FOR RAMS-SEAHAWKS:
- St. Louis, 38.7/53
- Seattle, 35.4/58
- New Orleans, 22.9/31
- Las Vegas, 20.1/29
- Oklahoma City, 19.0/27
- Tulsa, 18.3/24
- Baltimore, 16.7/25
- Milwaukee, 16.0/24
- Portland, 15.6/26
- Norfolk, 15.4/22
That will do it. More later.