For the second-straight year, the combination of Tom Brady helped NBC open the season at a multi-year ratings high.
Buccaneers-Cowboys averaged a 12.3 rating and 23.3 million viewers on the season premiere of NBC’s Sunday Night Football, marking the most-watched SNF debut on linear television since Giants-Cowboys five years ago (24.37M). Including additional streaming viewership not tracked by Nielsen, the game averaged 25 million — the most-watched SNF season debut since 2015, also Giants-Cowboys (26.77M).
Tampa Bay’s win posted a comfortable increase over Bears-Rams last year, which averaged a 9.6 and in the neighborhood of 18 million viewers.
This year marked the second-straight Week 1 meeting between the Buccaneers and Cowboys, who played in last year’s Kickoff Game. Just like last year, the matchup of the league’s biggest star — Brady — and its highest profile team — Dallas — was easily the highest rated and most-watched game of the opening weekend.
In the afternoon, FOX averaged a 9.2 and 18.55 million for coverage featuring Packers-Vikings — up 10% in ratings and 12% in viewership from last year (mostly Packers-Saints: 8.3, 16.62M). Early game coverage featuring 49ers-Bears averaged a 6.4 and 12.15 million, up 7% in both measures from last year (mostly Eagles-Falcons: 6.0, 11.34M).
CBS pulled an 8.7 and 17.39 million for coverage featuring the Steelers’ overtime win over the Bengals, up 16% in ratings and 21% in viewership from last year and the network’s most-watched early window in Week 1 of the season since 1998.
The network’s late game — featuring the Chiefs’ rout of the Cardinals in 85% of markets — was less of a draw at an 8.3 and 16.62 million, down double-digits from last year (mostly Browns-Chiefs: 10.0, ~19.5M).
As previously noted, the Bills-Rams Kickoff Game declined double-digits from last year to a 10.8 rating and 19.94 million viewers on NBC (21.7 million including additional streaming data not tracked by Nielsen).
Figures for Monday’s Broncos-Seahawks game on ESPN/ABC will be released later Tuesday.
(Nielsen estimates from network PR, ShowBuzz Daily 9.13, Programming Insider 9.12)
