An NFL preseason game managed to draw the second-biggest audience for any sporting event since June.
Sunday’s Bears/Broncos tilt drew a 6.5/11 final rating and 10.4 million viewers on NBC, the highest rated, most viewed NFL preseason game since the Raiders/Eagles Hall of Fame Game in ’06 (6.8/12, 10.6 million).
This marks the second largest audience for any sporting event since the NBA Finals in June, behind only the MLB All-Star Game (14.6 million viewers), and ahead of the final round of the PGA Championship (10.1 million).
Bears/Broncos ranked as the #3 program of the week on broadcast, behind two episodes of America’s Got Talent.
Sunday’s preseason game topped a more star-studded NFL exhibition — February’s Pro Bowl, which drew a 5.4/10 rating and 8.6 million viewers. Additionally, the game easily outdrew other broadcast fare such as Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals (4.3 rating, 8 million viewers) and the Indianapolis 500 (4.0, 6.3 million).
NBC averaged a 5.7 rating and 9.2 million viewers for its two NFL preseason games, up 68% in ratings and 77% in viewers from a 3.4 and 5.2 million for two games last year.
