Though not as big a draw as during the first two weeks of the season, Sunday Night Football scored another double-digit bump in the overnights.
The Week 3 Broncos/Lions Sunday Night Football game drew a 13.8 overnight rating on NBC, up 12% from Steelers/Panthers last year (12.3), up 2% from Bears/Steelers in 2013 (13.5), and the highest Week 3 SNF overnight in three years — since Patriots/Ravens in 2012 (14.3).
All four NFL games on NBC this season have had an increase in overnight ratings, with the three Sunday Night Football games up by double-digits.
Despite the increase, the 13.8 is easily the lowest overnight of the young season on NBC. The previous three telecasts each topped a 16.0. Keep in mind that Sunday’s game was a relatively low-profile matchup, especially compared to NBC’s titanic early schedule — the Patriots’ opener after an offseason of controversy, the Giants/Cowboys rivalry, and a Packers/Seahawks NFC title game rematch. In addition, it aired on the first Sunday of the new television season and thus aired opposite several season premieres.
The Broncos’ win drew a 44.8 rating in Denver, the highest in any local market. Detroit ranked second with a 28.2, ranking second out of the four Lions games on SNF. Las Vegas was the top neutral market with a 20.0, and Indianapolis (19.8) and Milwaukee (19.7) rounded out the top five.
(Sun. numbers from NBC Sports)
