NBC's NFL KICKOFF Draws Nearly 27 Million Viewers

The Seattle Seahawks' 20-point victory over the Green Bay Packers in last night's "NFL Kickoff" on NBC was watched by 26.9 million viewers -- up 7% from last year's opening-game and ranking as the third-most watched "NFL Kickoff" game in the 13-year history of the event, according to fast national data released today by The Nielsen Company.

The SUPER BOWL Champion Seahawks' 36-16 victory, led by QB Russell Wilson (two touchdown passes) and RB Marshawn Lynch (110 rushing yards and two touchdowns), aired from 8:42 PM-11:30 PM ET and is television's most-watched show since the 2014 Academy Awards (43.7 million viewers on March 2).

Last night's 26.9 million average viewership was up 7% over last year's "NFL Kickoff" game (25.1 million for Ravens-Broncos), and ranks as the third-most watched "NFL Kickoff" game, trailing only the 2011 Saints-Packers thriller between the two previous SUPER BOWL winners (27.1 million), and the 2010 opener (Vikings-Saints, 27.5 million) featuring an NFC Championship Game rematch, as Brett Favre and the Minnesota VIKINGS visited the then-defending Super Bowl-champion New Orleans Saints.

Last night's game had a national household rating of 15.5/26, making it the third-highest rated NFL Kickoff game behind 2010 (16.5/28) and 2011 (16.0/26), and up 4% from last year's opener (14.9/26). The highest-rated half hour was 9:30-10:00 PM ET with a 17.1/28.

DIGITAL: NBC Sports Live Extra's live stream of last night's NFL Kickoff generated record-setting digital numbers. Fans consumed more than 25 million minutes, setting a new NBC Sports Live EXTRA record and making it the highest-trafficked non-Olympic, non-Super Bowl live stream in NBC Sports Digital history.

The 25 million minutes live streamed tops last year's "NFL Kickoff" game by 21% (20.5 million minutes). It also shattered by nearly 4 million minutes the previous record for an NFL game on NBC, set in last year's thrilling Week 12 "Manning-Brady XIV" Denver-New England SNF game, highlighted by Tom Brady leading the Patriots back from a 24-0 halftime deficit to top Peyton Manning and the Broncos 34-31 in overtime (21.3 million minutes).

NBC Sports Live EXTRA also posted a record-setting 507,662 unique viewers for Packers-Seahawks - topping last year's "NFL Kickoff" game by 51%.