For the third time in just seven weeks, NBC earned over 25 million viewers for NFL coverage — a number the network did not manage to reach in any of the previous four seasons.
Sunday’s Vikings/Packers game, Brett Favre’s second return to Lambeau Field, drew a 15.4 final rating and 25.675 million viewers on NBC — up 69% in ratings and 71% in viewership from Week 7 last year (AZ/NYG: 9.1, 14.975 mil), and up 144% and 156%, respectively, from Week 7 in 2008 (SEA/TB: 6.3, 10.014 mil).
The Week 7 Sunday night games in 2009, 2008 and 2007 (PIT/DEN: 8.3, 13.290 mil) each aired opposite the American League Championship Series on FOX or TBS, losing the head-to-head battle each time. This year’s game did not face MLB competition.
The Packers’ win ranks as the second-highest rated, second-most viewed regular season NFL game on NBC since the network resumed airing coverage in 2006. Only this year’s Vikings/Saints NFL Kickoff Game on NBC (27.485 mil) drew more viewers.
Additionally, this marks just the third time since ’06 that NBC has drawn at least 25 million viewers for a regular season NFL game, with all three games coming this season.
For some perspective, Favre’s first return last year drew a 17.4 final rating and 29.820 million viewers on FOX in the late national window.
Sunday’s game was the highest rated, most-viewed primetime program of the week on broadcast. The game also ranked #1 in all key adult and male demographics, including adults 18-49 (9.8).
For the first time this season, Sunday Night Football drew a higher rating and more viewers than the NFL national window (NE/SD: 13.1, 21.918 mil, CBS). The NFL national window had topped SNF every week dating back to Week 9 of last season.
Through Week 7, NBC is averaging a 13.2 rating and 21.9 million viewers for NFL coverage, up 14% in ratings and 15% in viewership from last year, and up 35% and 38%, respectively, from 2008.
This marks the highest average viewership for any NFL primetime package since 1996.
(NBC press release from Fang’s Bites)
