NBC’s primetime programming is horrible except for Sunday Night Football. Take a look at the press release as New England-Pittsburgh brought in 21 million viewers on Sunday.

21.2 MILLION WATCH PATRIOTS BEAT STEELERS ON “SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL”

5^th NBC Primetime NFL Game This Season to Surpass 20 Million Viewers; Most Through First 10 Weeks in SNF History

SNF Most-Watched Sunday Night Show Every Week So Far This Season (10 For 10)

Most-Watched and Highest-Rated Primetime Program of the Week

No. 1 Show of the Primetime Season in All Key Adult and Male Demos

SNF Has Best Average Viewership For Primetime NFL Package in 14 Years

NEW YORK – November 16, 2010 – This week’s “Sunday Night Football” game, which featured the New England Patriots 39-26 dominant victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers, was the most-watched program on Sunday night for the 10^th straight week, the No. 1 show of the week in the key advertising demographics, and remains 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.

The game, which was seemingly out of hand with the Patriots leading 23-3 in fourth quarter, drew 21.2 million viewers, the sixth NBC primetime NFL game this season to surpass 20 million viewers, the most through 10 weeks in NBC’s five-year “Sunday Night Football” history.

2010 NBC PRIMETIME GAMES WITH 20 MILLION OR MORE VIEWERS:

1. 9/9/10, Vikings-Saints, 27.5 million (Thursday NFL Kickoff Opener)

2. 10/24/10, Vikings-Packers, 25.7 million (Favre Return to Lambeau II)

3. 9/12/10, Cowboys-Redskins, 25.3 million (SNF: Week 1)

4. 9/19/10, Giants-Colts, 23.1 million (“Manning Bowl II”)

5. 11/14/10, Patriots-Steelers, 21.2 million (Sunday’s Game)

6. 10/3/10, Bears-Giants, 20.9 million

NBC PRIMETIME GAMES WITH 20 MILLION OR MORE VIEWERS

(Through 10 weeks)

2010 – 6

2009 – 5

2008 – 1

2007 – 0

2006 – 2

• NBC’s 10-week viewership of 21.3 million is 1.5 million more than and eight percent above last year’s 19.8 million, and up 31 percent over 2008 (16.2 million) through the same point in the season

DEFEATED ALL SUNDAY NIGHT COMPETITION: The “Sunday Night Football” broadcast defeated all Sunday Night competition for the 10^th time in 10 weeks, including original broadcasts of ABC’s Desperate Housewives and Brothers & Sisters, and CBS’s 60 Minutes, Amazing Race, Undercover Boss and CSI Miami, and Fox’s The Simpsons, Cleveland Show, and Family Guy.

SNF IS 10 FOR 10: With 21.2 million viewers, “Sunday Night Football” was the most-watched primetime show on Sunday night for the 10^th straight week this season (100 percent). 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). 

• The 21.2 million is nearly two million more and nine percent higher than last week’s SNF game featuring Cowboys and Packers (19.4 million). Sunday night’s household rating of 12.8/20 is more than two rating points and 10 percent higher than last week’s Cowboys-Packers game.

• Sunday’s game was the sixth game this season to earn a 12.5 household rating or better, the most through 10 weeks in NBC’s five-year “Sunday Night Football” history.

• Last year’s Week 10 SNF game featured the 8-0 Colts defeating the 6-2 Patriots, 35-34. That much-hyped game, referred to by many as the “game-of-the-year” in the NFL, drew 22.4 million viewers, only five percent more than Sunday’s Patriots-Steelers game, and registered a 13.7/22 household rating.

NO. 1 SHOW OF THE WEEK: Sunday’s game was the most-watched and highest-rated primetime program of the week and, for the 10^th 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 76 percent margin of victory over the No. 2 show in Adults 18-49 (8.1 for SNF vs. 4.6 for Glee on Fox).

• Through 10 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.

o SNF is also the No. 3 show since the beginning of the football season among Women 18-34 and 18-49.

THROUGH 10 WEEKS, SNF BEST IN 14 YEARS: Through the first 10 weeks of the NFL season, “Sunday Night Football” is averaging 21.3 million viewers, the most through this point in the season for a primetime NFL package in 14 years (23.4 million in 1996 on ABC).

SNF AVERAGE VIEWERSHIP THROUGH 10 WEEKS:

1. 2010, 21.3 million

2. 2009, 19.8 million

3. 2006, 18.0 million

4. 2007, 16.3 million

5. 2008, 16.2 million

The 10-week average household rating of 12.8/21 is seven percent higher than last year’s 12.0/19 and 28 percent ahead of 2008 (10.0/16) through the same point in the season.

TOP METERED MARKETS FOR PATRIOTS-STEELERS:

1. Pittsburgh, 49.2/64
2. Boston, 37.0/54
3. Providence, 27.1/39
4. Baltimore, 21.9/33
5. Las Vegas, 21.4/31
6. New Orleans, 19.9/27
7. Norfolk, 19.7/29
8. Nashville, 17.6/23
9. Indianapolis, 17.4/26
10. Washington, D.C., 17.2/28

More later.