NBC's SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL is NFL's Most-Watched West Coast Primetime Game Ever

By: Sep. 16, 2014
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Despite a late-second quarter 17-0 lead for the San Francisco 49ers, NBC's SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL drew an average of 22.2 million viewers for the Chicago Bears' come-from-behind 28-20 victory - marking the most-watched Sunday primetime NFL regular-season matchup ever played on the West Coast.

The SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL telecast, in which Bears QB Jay Cutler threw three fourth-quarter scoring passes to spoil the 49ers' regular-season debut in their new Levi's Stadium, also topped by 8% viewership for last year's Week 2 SNF game (49ers-Seahawks, 20.5 million).

The Bears-49ers game - which aired from 8:31-11:40 pm ET - is the most-watched Sunday primetime NFL game played on the West Coast (since the advent of the People Meter in 1987). The NFL began a regular Sunday night TV schedule in 1987. The previous high was 21.3 million for Lions at 49ers on NBC in 2012 (Sept. 16).

Additional SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL ratings notes:

Sunday Night Football (12.9/22 national household rating) led NBC to a decisive Sunday win in all key measures, taking the night among ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX by an 89 percent margin in Adults 18-49 (7.2 vs. 3.8 for #2 CBS).

Through three NFL telecasts, NBC is averaging 24.2 million viewers - the fifth consecutive year with a 23+ million average at this point in the season, and up slightly from last year at this time (23.9 million viewers).

The 12.9/22 national rating was the best for a Bears regular-season primetime game in 17 years (15.0/26 for Bears-Packers, 9/1/97 on ABC).

Sunday's game marked the 49ers' best local regular-season primetime rating (27.0/51) in 11 years, since Steelers-49ers on 11/17/03 (27.2/42 on ABC).

TOP METERED MARKETS FOR BEARS-49ERS:

1. Chicago 31.8/49
2. Sacramento 28.6/47
3. San Francisco 27.0/51
4. Las Vegas 20.9/33
5. San Diego 19.9/35
6. Milwaukee 19.2/31
7. Phoenix 18.5/31
8. Indianapolis 18.4/31
9. Richmond 16.1/26
10. Albuquerque 15.8/25


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