Ratings and viewership hit season lows for the latest edition of Sunday Night Football on NBC, but the network is off to the best start for any primetime NFL package in fourteen years.
Sunday’s Eagles/49ers game drew a 10.3 final rating and 16.856 million viewers on NBC, up 6% in ratings and 5% in viewership from Week 5 last year (TEN/IND: 9.7, 16.017 mil), and up 17% and 19%, respectively, from Week 5 in 2008 (PIT/JAX: 8.8, 14.207 mil).
The Eagles’ win ranks as the lowest rated, least-viewed Sunday Night Football telecast of the season (six telecasts).
The game also finished behind ESPN’s Jets/Vikings Monday Night Football game (10.7, 17.313 mil), marking the first time since Week 12 last season that MNF has outdrawn SNF.
On a more positive note, Eagles/49ers is the fifth of six telecasts on NBC this season to have an increase from last year.
So far this season, NBC is averaging a 13.1 rating and 21.8 million viewers for Sunday Night Football, up 8% in ratings and 9% in viewership from last year, and up 24% and 27%, respectively, from 2008.
The 21.8 million viewers is the highest average for any NFL primetime package through this point of the season since 1996.
Ratings/Viewership For Sunday Night Football on NBC
Through Week 5
| Date | Game | Net | Rating | vs. ’09 | Viewers (000) | vs. ’09 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thu., 9/9/10 | Vikings/Saints | NBC |
16.5
|
29%
|
27,485
|
31%
|
| Sun., 9/12/10 | Cowboys/Washington | NBC |
15.0
|
19%
|
25,262
|
20%
|
| Sun., 9/19/10 | Giants/Colts | NBC |
13.8
|
-9%
|
23,100
|
-7%
|
| Sun., 9/26/10 | Jets/Dolphins | NBC |
11.3
|
6%
|
18,147
|
4%
|
| Sun., 10/3/10 | Bears/Giants | NBC |
12.5
|
14%
|
20,929
|
14%
|
| Sun., 10/10/10 | Eagles/49ers | NBC |
10.3
|
6%
|
16,856
|
5%
|
