Sunday Night Football Beats World Series Game 4 & Draws Over 18 Million

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The World Series drew ratings for Fox and Fox won the primetime ratings, but head-to-head, Sunday Night Football beat baseball in what is believed to be the first primetime win for the NFL. We take a look at the press release.

“SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL” DRAWS 18.1 MILLION: MOST-WATCHED SHOW ON SUNDAY NIGHT FOR 8TH TIME IN 8 WEEKS

NEW YORK – November 1, 2010 – Last night’s “Sunday Night Football” game was the most-watched primetime program on Sunday Night for the eighth straight week, according to fast national data released today by The Nielsen Company. The game, featuring the last two Super Bowl champions in a Halloween showdown in New Orleans, in which the Saints defeated the Steelers 20-10, was seen by an average of 18.1 million people (from 8:31-11:21 p.m. ET).

• There is no year-to-year comparison for this SNF game because last night was the first time that NBC “Sunday Night Football” went head-to-head with the World Series. SNF out-drew World Series Game 4 by 17 percent (18.1 million for SNF vs. 15.5 million for the World Series). The household rating for last night’s “Sunday Night Football” game was a 10.7/17.

• In the previous four years of “Sunday Night Football” there was no game scheduled against the World Series.

DEFEATED ALL SUNDAY NIGHT COMPETITION: Last night’s “Sunday Night Football” broadcast defeated all Sunday Night competition including World Series Game 4 on Fox, ABC’s Desperate Housewives and Brothers & Sisters, and CBS’s 60 Minutes, Amazing Race, Undercover Boss and CSI Miami.

SNF NOW 8 FOR 8: With 18.1 million viewers, “Sunday Night Football” was the most-watched primetime show on Sunday night for the eighth straight week this season. 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).

SNF GAME SETS GUINNESS WORLD RECORD: 17,777 fans attended last night’s “Sunday Night Football” game at the Louisiana Superdome, setting the Guinness World Record for largest Halloween gathering, defined as a group of people in costume in one place. An official Guinness World Records® Adjudicator was on site at the Superdome to validate the record. 

SNF SHOWS DRAMATIC YEAR-ON-YEAR VIEWERSHIP GAINS

THROUGH 8 WEEKS, SNF BEST IN 14 YEARS: Through the first eight weeks of the NFL season, “Sunday Night Football” is averaging 21.5 million viewers, the most for the first eight weeks of a primetime NFL package in 14 years (23.9 million in 1996 on ABC).

• NBC’s eight-week viewership of 21.5 million is 2.4 million more than and 13 percent above last year’s 19.1 million for the opening eight weeks of the NFL season and up 35 percent over the first eight weeks in 2008 (15.9 million).

SNF AVERAGE VIEWERSHIP THROUGH EIGHT WEEKS:

1. 2010, 21.5 million

2. 2009, 19.1 million

3. 2006, 17.3 million

4. 2007, 16.1 million

5. 2008, 15.9 million

The eight-week average household rating of 12.9/21 is 11 percent higher than last year’s first seven weekends (11.6/19) and 32 percent ahead of the first seven weeks in 2008 (9.8/16).

TOP METERED MARKETS FOR STEELERS-SAINTS:

1. Pittsburgh, 52.2/68

2. New Orleans, 48.7/68

3. Baltimore, 19.3/29

T4. Indianapolis, 18.4/26

T4. Norfolk, 18.4/26

6. Las Vegas, 17.7/28

T7. Cleveland, 16.4/24

T7. Nashville, 16.4/22

9. Kansas City, 14.9/23

10. Richmond, 14.7/22

More stuff coming up. I have a lot to catch up on.

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