The NFL scored a pair of multi-year highs in the metered markets on Sunday, with the Cowboys providing the day’s lone dud.
Chiefs-Patriots delivered a 14.6 overnight rating on NBC’s Sunday Night Football, up 34% from last year (Giants-Broncos: 10.9), up 62% from 2016 (Colts-Texans: 9.0), and tied with 2015 (Patriots-Colts) as the highest Week 6 SNF overnight on record.
The 14.6 is the highest regular season NFL overnight on NBC since Giants-Cowboys in Week 1 last year (15.8). Excluding Cowboys games, it tied last year’s Chiefs-Patriots Kickoff Game as the network’s highest rated in the metered markets since Week 1 in 2016 (Patriots-Cardinals: 14.8).
New England’s high-scoring win, which peaked at a 16.2 from 11-11:30 PM ET, delivered the highest NFL overnight of Week 6. It outdrew the NFL national window for the first time all season.
The Week 6 national window, featuring the Cowboys’ blowout of Jacksonville in 85% of markets, had a 12.0 overnight on CBS — down 14% from last year (mostly Steelers-Chiefs: 14.0) and down 31% from 2016 on FOX (mostly Cowboys-Packers: 17.4).
The 12.0 is the lowest overnight for the late doubleheader window this season, and the third-lowest since 2007 — ahead of only Week 4 on CBS last year (10.8) and Week 16 on FOX in 2016 (mostly Buccaneers-Saints: 8.8). The 2016 telecast was part of a Christmas Eve Saturday doubleheader in which the primary FOX game aired in the 1 PM ET window.
The national window barely outdrew the singleheader on FOX. Coverage featuring Carolina-Washington or Rams-Broncos in 61% of markets had an 11.7 overnight — up 18% from last year (ft. Packers-Vikings: 9.9), up 4% from 2016 on CBS (11.2), and the highest in Week 6 since 2010 (14.3).
The 11.7 is tied as the highest of the season for the singleheader.
Finally, CBS scored a 9.0 for the first half of its doubleheader (+6%). Week 6 marked the fourth time this season that three of the four Sunday NFL windows have increased. Overall, overnights have increased for 16 of 24 Sunday windows thus far.
[Numbers from NBC Sports PR, Fox Sports PR/Twitter 10.15, Sports Business Daily 10.15]
