The milestones keep coming for NBC’s Sunday Night Football.
The Eagles/Cowboys Sunday Night Football game earned a 13.6 final rating and 23.0 million viewers on NBC, up 23% in ratings and 24% in viewership from Ravens/Steelers last year (11.1, 18.6M) and up 31% and 35%, respectively, from Colts/Texans in 2013 (10.4, 17.0M).
The Eagles’ OT win ranks the most-watched primetime game in Week 9 of the season since Cowboys/Vikings on ABC in 1999 (23.1M), and the highest rated since Patriots/Colts on NBC in 2006 (14.0). Nine of NBC’s ten NFL telecasts this season have scored a multi-year high in ratings and viewership, with five hitting at least a ten-year high in one or both measures.
For the season, Eagles/Cowboys ranks as the highest rated and most-watched SNF telecast since the Cowboys’ previous appearance — Week 4 against the Saints (14.1, 24.2M).
Sunday’s game drew an 8.4 rating among adults 18-49, up 25% from last year (6.7), up a third from 2013 (6.3), and the highest for SNF since the aforementioned Week 4 Cowboys/Saints matchup (8.7). It was the top NFL telecast of the week in the demo, comfortably ahead of the national window on CBS (7.4). SNF has tied or topped the national window in the demo six times in nine weeks this season, despite earning a smaller overall audience in all-but-one of those weeks.
Through Week 9, NBC has averaged a 13.8 rating and 23.6 million viewers for NFL coverage — up 10% in ratings and viewership from last year (12.6, 21.4M) and the highest for a primetime NFL package at this point of the season since 1999 (13.9) and 1996 (23.59M to 23.57M), respectively. The network has averaged an 8.6 rating in the adults 18-49 demo, up 8% from last year (8.0) and the highest since resuming NFL coverage in 2006.
On a live+same day basis, NBC has outdrawn AMC’s The Walking Dead by 28% in the demo (8.6 to 6.7), compared to a 4% advantage this time last year (8.0 to 7.7).
Ratings/Viewership For NFL on NBC This Season
Asterisk (*) indicates data was not available prior to the listed year.
| Game | Rtg. | Highest Since | Vwrs. | Highest Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steelers/Patriots Kickoff Game |
16.2 | 2010 | 27.40M | 2010 |
| Giants/Cowboys Week 1 |
15.4 | 2012 | 26.77M | 2012 |
| Seahawks/Packers Week 2 |
15.1 | 1999 | 26.40M | 1991 |
| Broncos/Lions Week 3 |
13.1 | 2008 | 22.07M | 2008 |
| Cowboys/Saints Week 4 |
14.1 | T-1997 | 24.20M | 1996 |
| 49ers/Giants Week 5 |
11.8 | 2011 | 19.59M | 2011 |
| Patriots/Colts Week 6 |
13.1 | 2000 | 22.82M | 2000* |
| Eagles/Panthers Week 7 |
12.2 | down | 20.61M | down |
| Packers/Broncos Week 8 |
13.0 | 2011 | 23.01M | 1993 |
| Eagles/Cowboys Week 9 |
13.6 | 2006 | 23.05M | 1999 |
(Sun. numbers from NBC Sports Group Press Box)
