Sunday Night Football is off to a strong start this season.
The Week 3 Broncos/Lions Sunday Night Football game drew a 13.1 final rating and 22.1 million viewers on NBC, up 10% in ratings and 11% in viewership from Steelers/Panthers last year (11.9, 19.8M), up 7% and 8%, respectively, from Bears/Steelers in 2013 (12.2, 20.5M), and most-watched Week 3 SNF game since Cowboys/Packers in 2008 (13.3, 22.2M).
All four NFL telecasts on NBC this season have had an increase in ratings and viewership, with each of the three SNF games up by double-digits. This is the first time since reacquiring NFL rights in 2006 that NBC has opened the season with four straight viewership increases.
The Broncos’ win was the highest rated NFL telecast of Week 3, marking the second time in three weeks this season that NBC has taken the top spot. In viewership, it ranked a close second behind the national window on CBS (22.13M to 22.07M).
Among adults 18-49, the game had a 8.1 rating — up 4% from last year (7.8) and up 5% from 2013 (7.7).
NBC has averaged a 14.9 rating and 25.6 million viewers for NFL coverage through Week 3, up 10% in ratings and viewership from last year and the highest three-game average for a primetime NFL package in more than two decades — since ABC averaged 25.9 million for Monday Night Football in 1994.
(Sun. numbers/season avg. from NBC Sports Group Press Box)
