It took the Cowboys and Robert Griffin III to improve NBC’s “Sunday Night Football” ratings.
The Week 6 Washington/Cowboys “Sunday Night Football” game drew a 12.7 final rating and 22.1 million viewers on NBC, up 8% in ratings and 11% in viewership from Packers/Texans last year (11.8, 19.9M), and up 26% and 33%, respectively, from Vikings/Bears in 2011 (10.1, 16.6M).
This marks only the first time all season that ratings and viewership have improved for “Sunday Night Football.” Only one other game on NBC has had an increase — the Thursday night Ravens/Broncos Kickoff Game.
According to NBC, the game was the most-viewed primetime NFL telecast to air opposite the MLB League Championship Series since 1997. The match-up outdrew competing coverage of the Tigers/Red Sox ALCS on FOX by 144% in ratings (12.7 to 5.2) and 164% in viewership (22.1M to 8.3M).
Despite the relatively strong numbers, the telecast came nowhere close to last year’s Sunday night game between Washington and Dallas — a Week 17 clash that drew a 17.0 rating and 30.3 million viewers. Of course, that game was a ‘win and you’re in’ match-up for the final playoff spot.
Among adults 18-49, “SNF” drew a 8.4 rating — up 9% from last year (7.7), and up 27% from 2011 (6.6).
