Two of the highest-profile teams in the NFL combined to give NBC a massive audience on Sunday night.
Sunday’s Week 1 Cowboys/Jets game drew a 15.3 final rating and 25.766 million viewers on NBC, up 2% in ratings and viewership from last year (DAL/WSH: 15.0, 25.262M), and up 21% and 22%, respectively, from 2009 (CHI/GB: 12.6, 21.102M).
The Jets’ win ranks as the third-most viewed regular season NFL telecast on NBC since the network resumed airing games in 2006, and the single most-viewed Sunday night game.
The only games to earn more viewers on NBC were Vikings/Saints in 2010 (27.485M) and Saints/Packers in 2011 (27.169M), both season-opening NFL Kickoff games.
Among adults 18-49, the game drew a 10.7 rating — up 11% from last year (9.6).
Dallas-Ft. Worth was the top market for Sunday’s game, with a 38.8 rating. San Antonio (28.1), Austin (26.2), New Orleans (24.7) and Las Vegas (23.3) rounded out the top five. New York (19.7) ranked eleventh.
Cowboys/Jets ranked second for the week in total viewers and the adults 18-49 demographic, behind only Saints/Packers.
(Information from Fang’s Bites, TV By the Numbers)
