The Sunday Night Football opener featuring the Cowboys vs. Jets on NBC was the most-watched Sunday or Monday* primetime game in 14 years and is the most-watched Sunday Night Football game ever, according to official national data released today by The Nielsen Company.
Additionally, the Thursday and Sunday night games rank as the No. 1 and No. 2 primetime programs of the week among viewers, households and all key demographics.
The Jets 27-24 victory over the Cowboys on Sunday Night Football was seen by an average of 25.8 million viewers (8:33-11:44 p.m. ET), the most for any Sunday or Monday primetime game since Dec. 15, 1997 (Broncos-49ers, 27.0 million on ABC) and the most ever for Sunday Night Football since the NFL’s premier primetime package moved to NBC in 2006. The viewership was up two percent over last year’s SNF season opener (Cowboys-Redskins, 25.3 million) and up 22 percent over the 2009 SNF season opener (Bears-Packers, 21.1 million). See full list of top SNF viewership below.
In the key advertiser demographic of Adults 18-49, Sunday Night’s game registered a 10.7 rating, the best ever for a Sunday Night Football game, the best for a primetime NFL regular season game since Dec. 15, 1997 (Broncos-49ers, 11.6 on ABC), and 11 percent higher than last year’s SNF opener.
*The only primetime NFL broadcasts to draw more viewers than last night’s game dating back to 1997 were Thursday’s NFL Kickoff game between the Saints and Packers (27.2 million) and last year’s NFL Kickoff between the Vikings and Saints (27.5 million).
BACK TO FOOTBALL: NBC’s two-game average viewership of 26.5 million for both Thursday and Sunday night is the best since the NFL created the Thursday/Sunday primetime weekend in 2002. It is up one percent from last year’s opening weekend (26.3 million) and up 26 percent vs. the 2009 opening weekend (21.0 million)
- Thursday’s Saints-Packers (27.2 million) and Sunday’s Cowboys-Jets (25.8 million) rank as the No. 2 and No. 3 most-watched NBC regular-season primetime NFL broadcasts ever, only behind last year’s NFL Kickoff.
MOST WATCHED “SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL” GAMES:
*Sundays Only
1. 25.8 million, Cowboys-Jets, 9/11/11 (Last Night’s Game)
2. 25.73 million, Eagles-Cowboys, 12/12/10 (Most Watched SNF game ever)
3. 25.68 million, Vikings-Packers, 10/24/10, (Favre Return to Lambeau II)
4. 25.3 million, Cowboys-Redskins, 9/12/10 (2010 SNF: Week 1)
5. 24.8 million, Giants-Cowboys, 9/20/09 (Dallas Cowboys Stadium Debut)
6. 24.2 million, Packers-Patriots, 12/19/10 (2010 SNF Week 15)
7. 23.7 million, Vikings-Eagles, 12/28/10 (2010 SNF Week 16 – Tuesday Game)
8. 23.2 million, Giants-Eagles, 11/21/10 (2010 SNF: Week 11)
T9. 23.1 million Giants-Colts, 09/19/10 (“Manning Bowl II”)
T9. 23.1 million, Giants-Cowboys, 12/14/08 (2008 SNF: Week 15)
*9/9/10, Vikings-Saints, 27.5 million (2010 Thursday Night Opener)
*9/8/11, Saints-Packers, 27.2 million (2011 Thursday Night
