The Giants-Cowboys rivalry posted one of its weakest results in years, but Sunday Night Football ratings still increased in Week 2.
Giants-Cowboys scored an 11.7 rating and 20.7 million viewers on NBC’s Sunday Night Football over the weekend, up 4% in ratings and 2% in viewership from last year (Packers-Falcons: 11.3, 20.2M) but down 8% and 9% respectively from 2016 (Packers-Vikings: 12.7, 22.8M).
Not counting 1 PM ET games — including last year’s Week 14 matchup on FOX (9.1, 15.5M) — the Cowboys’ win was the lowest rated and least-watched matchup between the rivals in eight years. A 2010 matchup on ESPN’s Monday Night Football had an 11.2 and 17.95 million.
It was also their lowest rated and least-watched meeting on NBC since 2007 (11.6, 18.2M).
Of the 35 total Giants-Cowboys games dating back to the 2001 season — regardless of window — Sunday’s matchup ranks 25th in ratings and 22nd in viewership.
In the key young adult demographics, SNF scored a 7.0 rating in adults 18-49 — actually down a tick from last year (7.1) and down 15% from 2016 (8.2). The 7.0 is the lowest Week 2 SNF rating in the demo since 2007 (6.5).
The game also had a 5.6 rating in adults 18-34 (-8%), the series’ lowest in Week 2 since 2005 on ESPN (3.8). By contrast to the decade-plus lows in the younger demographics, ratings went up in adults 25-54 (8.3, +2%).
The full list of Week 2 NFL ratings is available here.
[Numbers from Nielsen via Programming Insider 9.18]
