After a few weak weeks, Sunday Night Football ended on a stronger note.
The Week 17 Vikings/Packers Sunday Night Football game drew a 14.8 overnight rating on NBC, up 17% from Bengals/Steelers last year (12.7) and down 12% from Eagles/Cowboys in 2013 (16.8). The 14.8 ranks fourth out of the ten SNF season finales since NBC acquired the rights and tops the charts when Cowboys games are excluded.
The Vikings’ win scored the highest NFL overnight on NBC in more than a month — since Patriots/Broncos on Thanksgiving weekend (16.2) — and posted the network’s first increase in the same amount of time. Overall, the 14.8 tied the fifth-highest overnight on NBC this season.
For the week, Sunday Night Football topped the NFL national window on FOX (14.0) to rank as the highest rated telecast in the metered markets. This week was just the second of the season in which NBC topped the charts.
Minneapolis-St. Paul was the top market with a 52.4 rating, its highest for a regular season game on NBC since the network reacquired rights. Milwaukee ranked second (51.2), with Seattle (21.8), Denver and New Orleans (20.0 in each) rounding out the top five.
(Sun. numbers from NBC)
