Opposite the baseball playoffs, Sunday Night Football fell below a 10.0 rating for the first time in the 2009 season.
The Colts’ trouncing of the Titans drew a 9.7/16 final rating and 16 million viewers on NBC Sunday night, up 10% and 13%, respectively, from an 8.8/14 and 14.2 million for Steelers/Jaguars in Week 5 last year.
This marks the lowest rated, least viewed Sunday Night Football game of the season, falling below the previous low of 10.7 and 17.5 million for Colts/Cardinals in Week 3.
Despite the season-low, Colts/Titans was the 5th of the 6 Sunday Night Football telecasts to have an increase in ratings from last year.
Ratings/viewership for Sunday Night Football through Week 5
| Date | Game | Net | Rating | vs. ’08 | Viewers | vs. ’08 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thu., 9/10/09 | Titans/Steelers | NBC |
12.8
|
49%
|
20.9 mil
|
55%
|
| Sun., 9/13/09 | Bears/Packers | NBC |
12.6
|
13%
|
21.1 mil
|
15%
|
| Sun., 9/20/09 | Giants/Cowboys | NBC |
15.1
|
40%
|
24.8 mil
|
39%
|
| Sun., 9/27/09 | Colts/Cardinals | NBC |
10.7
|
-20%
|
17.5 mil
|
-20%
|
| Sun., 10/4/09 | Chargers/Steelers | NBC |
11.0
|
2%
|
18.4 mil
|
6%
|
| Sun., 10/11/09 | Titans/Colts | NBC |
9.7
|
10%
|
16.0 mil
|
13%
|
