The absence of one of the NFL’s biggest stars, and the presence of one of its lower-profile teams, sank the season-opener of Sunday Night Football.
The Week 1 Patriots/Cardinals Sunday Night Football game earned a 13.1 final rating and 23.1 million viewers on NBC, down 15% in ratings and 14% in viewership from Giants/Cowboys last year (15.4, 26.8M) and down 6% and 3%, respectively, from Colts/Broncos in 2014 (14.0, 23.8M).
The Patriots’ win was the lowest rated and least-watched SNF opener in seven years, since Bears/Packers in 2009 (12.6, 21.1M).
Figures do not include live streaming viewership on the various NBC Sports and NFL online platforms. With those numbers included, the game had 23.3 million — still the lowest for an SNF opener since 2009.
SNF scored an 8.4 rating among adults 18-49, down 17% from last year (10.1) and down 7% from 2014 (9.0). The 8.4 is the lowest for the SNF season premiere since 2008 (7.4).
Contributing to the lower numbers was the absence of Patriots QB Tom Brady and TE Rob Gronkowski, the two biggest names on the team. Another factor was the presence of the Cardinals, traditionally a low-profile team. Last season, Arizona played in three of the five lowest rated and least-watched Sunday night games.
Both Week 1 games on NBC hit multi-year lows in ratings and viewership, with the Panthers/Broncos Kickoff Game the lowest rated since 2009 and least-watched since 2013.
(Wknd. numbers via ShowBuzz Daily, NBC Sports)
