Sunday Night Football Averages 22.5 Million Viewers for Steelers-Ravens

A 13-10 thriller between the Steelers and Ravens held viewers for the entire game and overall, Sunday Night Football garnered over 20 million viewers for the 9th time this season. Overall, the rating for the game was 13.4 with a 21 share. It was 7% higher for last year’s Week 13 game which pitted Arizona against Minnesota. Viewership averaged 22.5 million for Sunday.

Here’s the announcement from NBC Sports.

22.5 MILLION WATCH STEELERS BEAT RAVENS ON “SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL”

8^th NBC Primetime NFL Game This Season to Surpass 20 Million Viewers; Most Through First 13 Weeks in SNF History

Tops Last Year’s Week 12 Ravens-Steelers OT Game by More Than 3 Million Viewers

Beats Last Year’s Week 13 Game by 7%

SNF Most-Watched Sunday Night Show Every Week So Far This Season (13 For 13)

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

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

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

Pittsburgh and Baltimore Markets Set Ratings Milestones

NEW YORK – December 7, 2010 – Coming off the best November for and NFL primetime package in 14 years, this week’s “Sunday Night Football” game, which featured the Pittsburgh Steelers 13-10 victory over the Baltimore Ravens, was the most-watched program on Sunday night for the 13^th straight week, the most-watched primetime show of the week, and was up eight percent compared to last year’s Week 13 game, according to official national data released today by The Nielsen Company.

The game, a battle for first place in the AFC North, drew 22.5 million viewers, the eighth NBC primetime NFL game this season to surpass 20 million viewers, the most through 13 weeks in NBC’s five-year “Sunday Night Football” history. There are four more games remaining

2010 NBC PRIMETIME GAMES WITH 20 MILLION OR MORE VIEWERS:

1. Sept. 9 – Vikings-Saints, 27.5 million (Thursday NFL Kickoff Opener)

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

3. Sept. 12 – Cowboys-Redskins, 25.3 million (SNF: Week 1)

4. Nov. 21 – Giants-Eagles, 23.2 million (SNF Week 11, for first place in NFC East)

5. Dec. 5 – Steelers-Ravens, 22.5 million (Sunday’s Game)

6. Sept. 19 – Giants-Colts, 23.1 million (“Manning Bowl II”)

7. Nov. 14 – Patriots-Steelers, 21.2 million (Last Sunday’s Game)

8. Oct. 3 – Bears-Giants, 20.9 million

NBC PRIMETIME GAMES WITH 20 MILLION OR MORE VIEWERS

(Through 13 weeks)

2010 – 8

2009 – 6

2008 – 1

2007 – 1

2006 – 2 

• NBC’s 13-week viewership of 21.4 million is nearly two million more than and nine percent above last year’s 19.6 million, and up 31 percent over 2008 (16.3 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 13^th time in 13 weeks, on a night that included such original competition as CBS’s 60 Minutes, Amazing Race, Undercover Boss and CSI: Miami, Fox’s Simpsons, Cleveland Show and American Dad and ABC’s Desperate Housewives and Brothers & Sisters.

SNF IS 13 FOR 13: With 22.5 million viewers, “Sunday Night Football” was the most-watched primetime show on Sunday night for the 13^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 viewership for Sunday night’s game is more than three million more and 17 percent higher than Week 12 of last season when these two teams met with the Ravens winning 20-17 in overtime (19.2 million).

• The 22.5 million is 1.6 million more and nine percent higher than the Vikings-Cardinals Week 13 game last season, which was Brett Favre’s first SNF appearance as a member of the Minnesota Vikings (20.9 million). Sunday night’s household rating of 13.4/21 is seven percent higher than last year’s Vikings-Cardinals game.

• Sunday’s game was the eighth game this season to earn a 12.5 household rating or better, the most through 13 weeks in NBC’s five-year “Sunday Night Football” history.

NO. 1 SHOW OF THE WEEK: Sunday’s game was the most-watched and highest-rated primetime program of the week and, for the 13^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. SNF was also the No. 1 show this week among Adults 18-34, Adults 25-54, Men 18-34, 18-49 and 25-54. 

• For the week, “Sunday Night Football” had a 80-percent margin of victory over the No. 2 show in Adults 18-49 (8.3 for SNF vs. 4.6 for Glee on Fox).

• Since the beginning 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 NFL season among Women 18-34 and 18-49.

THROUGH 13 WEEKS, SNF BEST IN 14 YEARS: Through the first 13 weeks of the NFL season, “Sunday Night Football” is averaging 21.4 million viewers, the most through this point in the season for a primetime NFL package in 14 years (23.7 million in 1996 on ABC).

SNF AVERAGE VIEWERSHIP THROUGH 10 WEEKS:

1. 2010, 21.4 million 

2. 2009, 19.6 million

3. 2006, 17.3 million

4. 2007, 16.5 million

5. 2008, 16.3 million

The 13-week average household rating of 12.9/21 is eight-percent higher than last year’s 11.9/19 and 29 percent ahead of 2008 (10.0/16) through the same point in the season.

TOP METERED MARKETS FOR STEELERS-RAVENS:

1. Pittsburgh, 54.4/71 (Most for an NFL game in Pittsburgh in five years – Week 10, 2005)

2. Baltimore, 47.6/65 (Most ever for an NFL game in Baltimore) 

3. New Orleans, 21.7/29

4. Las Vegas, 21.5/32

5. Norfolk, 20.7/30

T6. Washington, D.C., 17.3/27

T6. Philadelphia, 17.3/26

T6. Richmond, 17.3/26

9. Nashville, 17.2/24

10. Kansas City, 16.5/24

More stuff coming up. Lots more.