NBC's 49ers-Seahawks Game Scores 20.5 Million Viewers

By: Tyler Peterson Sep. 17, 2013

Despite a 60-minute weather delay, the San Francisco 49ers-Seattle Seahawks matchup on Sunday Night Football drew an average of 20.5 million viewers on NBC - marking the most-watched Primetime NFL matchup between West Coast teams in nearly two decades.

The 29-3 Seahawks victory on Sunday Night Football also topped by 1 million viewers (a 5% increase) the SNF matchup of the same two teams last year in Week 16, which the NFL flexed into Primetime as San Francisco (then 10-3-1) and Seattle (9-5) played for playoff positioning and averaged 19.5 million viewers.

The 49ers-Seahawks game - which aired from 8:31-9:05 pm ET and 10:05-12:13 am ET due to a 60-minute lightning delay in Seattle - is the most-watched Primetime NFL game between two West Coast teams since Nov. 27, 1995, when the defending-AFC champion San Diego Chargers hosted the rival Oakland Raiders and averaged 21.6 million viewers.

Additional Sunday Night Football ratings notes:

· Sunday Night Football (12.2/21 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 (6.6 vs. 3.5 for #2 CBS).

· Through three NFL telecasts, NBC is averaging 23.9 million viewers -- the fourth consecutive year with a 23+ million average at this point in the season.

· In competing team markets, Sunday's game posted the best-ever NBC SNF rating in Seattle (44.8/66), and matched the best NBC SNF rating in San Francisco (26.8/48), which was previously set by 49ers-Patriots on Dec. 16, 2012.