After losing in the overnights, “Sunday Night Football” finished ahead of the World Series in the final ratings.
The Week 8 Packers/Vikings “Sunday Night Football” game drew a 9.8 final rating and 16.9 million viewers on NBC, down 8% in ratings and 5% in viewership from Saints/Broncos last year (10.7, 17.7M), and down 29% and 27%, respectively, from Cowboys/Eagles in 2011 (13.8, 23.0M).
Packers/Vikings ranks as the lowest rated and least-viewed regular season NFL telecast on NBC since Colts/Saints in 2011, which also aired opposite the World Series (7.6, 12.5M) — snapping a streak of 37 straight telecasts to earn a double-digit rating.
The game was also the sixth of nine telecasts on NBC this season to have a decline from last year.
Among adults 18-49, Sunday’s game had a 6.3 rating — down 10% from last year (7.0), and down 32% from 2011 (9.3).
Despite the lower numbers, “SNF” managed to outdraw the World Series head-to-head for the third time in four years. Packers/Vikings topped competing coverage of Red Sox/Cardinals Game 4 on FOX by 4% in ratings (9.8 to 9.4), 5% in viewership (16.9M to 16.0M), and 37% among adults 18-49 (6.3 to 4.6).
The numbers mark a reversal from the overnights, which had the World Series topping “SNF” 10.5 to 9.9.
(Sun. numbers from NBC Sports Group Press Box, additional info from The Futon Critic)
