A nailbiter between two of the NFL’s most-popular teams hit multiple highs on Sunday Night Football.
Cowboys-Saints averaged a 13.7 rating and 24.11 million viewers on NBC’s Sunday Night Football last weekend, marking the highest rated and most-watched Week 4 NFL window since the same matchup on SNF in 2015 (14.1, 24.20M).
The Saints’ narrow win, which peaked with 26.0 million viewers from 9:30-9:45 PM ET, also delivered the largest primetime NFL audience since Week 1 in 2017 (Giants-Cowboys: 24.37M).
In addition to the multi-year highs, ratings and viewership were also the highest of the young NFL season. The previous highs were a 13.5 and 23.90 million for the Week 1 national window on FOX (Giants-Cowboys in most markets).
No television program has had a higher rating or larger audience since the Academy Awards in February (16.4, 29.56M).
Ratings increased 32% and viewership 35% from Ravens-Steelers in Week 4 last year (10.4, 17.92M) and 43% and 44% respectively from Colts-Seahawks in 2017 (9.6, 16.73M).
The game averaged an additional 599,000 viewers on NBC Sports’ digital platforms, a regular season Sunday Night Football record. Across TV and streaming, the audience of 24.7 million was the largest on record for SNF in Week 4 of the season, and the largest in any week since Week 14 in 2016 (26.7M).
Including streaming, SNF is now averaging 21.4 million viewers this season — the highest since 2016 and up 5% from last year (20.3M).
New Orleans led all markets Sunday night with a 57.0 rating, the market’s highest for a Sunday night game since 2013 against Carolina (58.1). It delivered a 74 share, meaning that 74% of televisions in use were tuned to the game.
Dallas-Ft. Worth ranked second at a 38.2, its highest for SNF since 2016 against Tampa Bay (40.6). San Antonio (31.1), Austin (28.8) and Albuquerque (23.6) rounded out the top five.
SNF drew a 7.8 rating in adults 18-49 (+27%) and a 5.8 in adults 18-34 (+23%), both the highest in Week 4 since 2015 (8.7, 7.4).
[Nielsen estimates from NBC Sports PR 9.30, ShowBuzz Daily 10.1]
