With the 3-5 Broncos getting blown out, Sunday Night Football ratings took another hit last weekend.
Patriots-Broncos scored a 10.2 rating and 17.5 million viewers on NBC’s Sunday Night Football last week, down 20% in ratings and 22% in viewership from last year (Patriots-Seahawks: 12.7, 22.5M) and down 11% and 10% respectively from 2015 (Cardinals-Seahawks: 11.4, 19.4M).
New England’s easy win was the lowest rated Week 10 edition of SNF since NBC began airing the series in 2006. The previous low was a 10.6 for Bears-Packers three years ago. It was also the least-watched in Week 10 since Colts-Chargers in 2008 (17.3M).
Not counting Thursday Night Football, eight of NBC’s eleven NFL telecasts this season have hit multi-year lows in ratings and/or viewership.
Five of those telecasts have hit at least a decade-low in one or both measures.
Including streaming viewership, Sunday’s game had an audience of 17.7 million — still down 22% from last year (22.7M).
In the key young adult demographics, SNF declined 25% in adults 18-49 (from 7.7 to 5.8), 24% in adults 18-34 (from 6.3 to 4.8) and 25% in adults 25-54 (from 8.9 to 6.7). In viewership and all three demos, it was not the biggest bust of the night.
The night’s other dominant show — AMC’s The Walking Dead — posted steeper declines. Sunday’s new episode fell 24% in viewership (from 11.4M to 8.7M), 27% in adults 18-49 (from 5.4 to 3.9) and 38% in adults 18-34 (from 4.7 to 2.9). It posted a slightly narrower decline in adults 25-54, dropping 24% (from 5.8 to 4.4).
The complete list of 2017 NFL ratings is here.
Sunday Night Football Ratings, 2017 Season
| Telecast | Game | Rtg. | vs. 2016 | Lowest Since | Vwrs. | vs. 2016 | Lowest Since |
| Kickoff | KC-NE | 12.6 | -14% | 2008 | 21.8M | -13% | 2009 |
| Week 1 | NYG-DAL | 13.4 | +2% | — | 24.4M | +6% | — |
| Week 2 | GB-ATL | 11.3 | -11% | 2008 | 20.2M | -11% | 2008 |
| Week 3 | OAK-WSH | 10.1 | -14% | 2006 | 17.5M | -15% | 2009 |
| Week 4 | IND-SEA | 9.6 | -7% | 2007 | 16.7M | -7% | 2007 |
| Week 5 | KC-HOU | 9.5 | +2% | — | 16.5M | -1% | 2008 |
| Week 6 | NYG-DEN | 9.4 | +16% | — | 16.2M | +19% | — |
| Week 7 | ATL-NE | 11.0 | +8% | — | 19.2M | +9% | — |
| Week 8 | PIT-DET | 8.0 | -22% | 2005 | 13.9M | -23% | 2005 |
| Week 9 | OAK-MIA | 8.6 | -17% | 2005 | 14.4M | -22% | 2005 |
| Week 10 | NE-DEN | 10.2 | -20% | 2005 | 17.5M | -22% | 2008 |
[Sun. numbers via ShowBuzz Daily 11.14, NBC Sports]
