If a mismatch on the field, the season premiere of Sunday Night Football scored a slight increase in ratings and viewership.
Steelers-Patriots averaged a 12.6 rating and 22.21 million viewers on the season premiere of NBC’s Sunday Night Football, up a tick in ratings and a fraction of a percent in viewership from last year (Bears-Packers: 12.5, 22.12M), but down 6% and 9% respectively from Giants-Cowboys in 2017 (13.4, 24.37M).
Ratings and viewership increased despite New England’s 30-point win, the most lopsided margin for an SNF opener since NBC began airing the series in 2006. Viewership peaked at 25.1 million from 9:30-9:45 PM ET, around halftime.
Even with the increase, the game tops only last year as the lowest rated SNF opener since 2008 (Bears-Colts: 11.2) and the least-watched since 2009 (Bears-Packers: 21.1M).
It stands to reason that a closer game would have done better, particularly given the recent strength of the Patriots-Steelers rivalry. Last year’s game tied as the highest rated of the season (14.2), and their 2017 meeting still ranks as the highest rated and most-watched NFL regular season game since 2016 (15.2, 26.88M). Those games both aired in Week 15 on CBS.
The last time the rivals met on NBC, their matchup in the 2015 Kickoff Game had a 16.2 and 27.40 million.
The game averaged a streaming audience of 523,000 viewers on NBC Sports’ digital platforms, up 30% from last year, and the highest yet for a regular season Sunday night game. Across TV and streaming, the combined audience was 22.7 million.
It also scored a 7.5 rating in adults 18-49, even with last year and down 18% from 2017 (9.1).
Pittsburgh led all markets with a 42.3 rating (and a 60 share), followed by Patriots secondary market Providence, R.I., at a 37.4. Boston ranked third at a 36.3. New Orleans was the top neutral market (22.7), with Denver rounding out the top five (19.6).
[Nielsen estimates via NBC Sports PR 9.10, ShowBuzz Daily 9.10]
