Sunday Night Football ratings could survive a presidential debate, but not the presence of the Colts and Texans.
The Week 6 Colts/Texans Sunday Night Football game had an 8.1 final rating and 13.6 million viewers on NBC, down 38% in ratings and 40% in viewership from Patriots/Colts last year (13.1, 22.8M) and down 25% in both measures form Giants/Eagles in 2014 (10.8, 18.1M).
The Texans’ overtime win ranks as the lowest rated and least-watched edition of SNF in five years, since the Saints’ 55-point thrashing of the Colts opposite the World Series in 2011 (7.6, 12.5M).
Outside of the 2011 game, no SNF telecast has had a lower rating or viewership since 2008. Three games that year had a smaller audience — Washington/Baltimore in Week 14 (13.3M), Patriots/Chargers in Week 6 (13.1M) and Seahawks/Buccaneers in Week 7 (10.0M). Only one of those had a lower rating, Seahawks/Buccaneers (6.3).
Notably, Colts/Texans declined 13% in ratings and 18% in viewership from Giants/Packers the previous week, which aired directly opposite the second presidential debate.
In adults 18-49, SNF had a 4.9 rating — down 40% from last year (8.2) and down 26% from 2014 (6.6). Streaming figures were not immediately available.
All seven NFL telecasts on NBC this season have declined in ratings, viewership and adults 18-49. Household ratings have taken the biggest hit out of those three metrics, dropping double-digits and hitting a multi-year low in each week.
(Wknd. numbers via ShowBuzz Daily 10/18)
