Just two weeks into the season, NBC has already earned three of its four largest NFL audiences since reacquiring rights to the league in 2006.
The Colts’ Sunday night win over the Giants drew a 13.8 final rating and 23.100 million viewers on NBC, down 9% in ratings and 7% in viewership from Giants/Cowboys in Week 2 last year (15.1, 24.817 mil), but up 28% and 30%, respectively, from Steelers/Browns in 2008 (10.8, 17.834 mil).
Giants/Colts was the second head-to-head meeting between Colts QB Peyton Manning and Giants QB Eli Manning. The brothers’ first meeting (Week 1 in 2006) drew a higher rating but fewer viewers (14.3, 22.567 mil).
Sunday’s game is tied as the fourth-most viewed regular season NFL telecast on NBC since the network resumed airing games in 2006. Three of the four most-viewed games have taken place in this season alone, including the top two.
Through Week 2, NBC is averaging a 15.1 rating and 25.3 million viewers for NFL coverage, up 12% in ratings and 13% in viewership from last year (13.5, 22.3 mil) and up 48% and 52%, respectively, from 2008 (10.2, 16.6 mil).
This marks the highest average rating for primetime NFL coverage through Week 2 of the season since 1999 and the highest average viewership since 1994.
Sunday Night Football was television’s top primetime program of the week in ratings, viewership and “all the key demos.” The game’s 9.2 rating among adults 18-49 marks a 6% drop from last year (9.8) but a 28% jump from 2008 (7.2).
(NBC press release from Fang’s Bites; Media Life Magazine)
