Even without Patrick Mahomes, Sunday Night Football ratings hit a four-year high opposite the World Series.
Packers-Chiefs averaged a 10.4 rating and 18.3 million viewers on NBC Sunday night, per Nielsen fast-nationals — marking the highest rated and most-watched Week 8 edition of Sunday Night Football since Packers-Broncos in 2015 (13.0, 23.01M).
Green Bay’s win, which peaked with 20.0 million viewers from 9:45-10 PM ET, increased 25% in ratings and 30% in viewership from last year (Saints-Vikings: 8.3, 14.09M) and 30% and 32% respectively from 2017 (Steelers-Lions: 8.0, 13.86M).
The game outdrew the competing Game 5 of the World Series by 60% in ratings and 61% in viewership, marking the biggest win SNF has ever had over the World Series — and the first win since 2015. According to NBC, SNF beat Game 5 in 38 of 42 markets Sunday night.
Of NBC’s ten Sunday Night Football games to air opposite the World Series, Packers-Chiefs ranks fifth in ratings and third in viewership.
Including a streaming audience of 472,000 (+95%), Sunday’s game averaged 18.8 million viewers (+31%).
SNF is now averaging 20.3 million viewers with streaming included (+5%), the highest at this point of the season since 2015. Five of nine Sunday night games have increased over last season, and four have hit multi-year highs.
Kansas City led all markets Sunday night with a 46.4 rating and 68 share, followed close behind by Milwaukee at a 44.2/65. Minneapolis-St. Paul was the top neutral market (19.8/35), with Denver (15.6/26) and Las Vegas (14.8/25) rounding out the top five.
Packers-Chiefs averaged a 5.7 rating in adults 18-49 (+27%), NBC’s highest in Week 8 since 2016 (6.5). It also drew a 4.0 in adults 18-34 (+21%).
[Nielsen estimates from NBC Sports PR 10.28]