NBC's Coverage of Denver-Indianapolis Game Delivers Big Ratings

Last night's Denver-Indianapolis NBC Sunday Night Football game featuring Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning's return to Indianapolis, posted a 17.3 overnight rating and 29 share (8:30 p.m.-12:15 a.m. ET) - marking the best Primetime overnight for an October game in 15 years and a 48% increase over last season's Week 7 SNF game (11.7 for Pittsburgh-Cincinnati).

The previous best October Primetime NFL overnight was a 17.5 for Minnesota-Green Bay on ABC on Oct. 5, 1998, as Randall Cunningham passed for 442 yards and four touchdowns in a 37-24 Vikings victory over Brett Favre and the Packers.

The 17.3 for the Colts' down-to-the-wire 39-33 Sunday Night Football victory is the fourth-highest overnight in the eight-year history of NBC's Primetime package (including "NFL Kickoff" games). Following are NBC's highest overnight ratings for a regular-season game since the debut of Sunday Night Football in 2006:

Game, Date Overnight Highlights

Dallas-Wash., 12/30/12 18.3 Rookie Robert Griffin III leads Redskins to NFC East title with 28-18 victory in "win-and-in" Week 17 matchup. Game posted highest regular-season Primetime overnight on any network in 15 years.

Pittsburgh-Denver, 9/9/12 18.0 Peyton Manning debuts with a new team (Denver) after missing '11 season with neck injury, and throws his 400th career TD pass in Broncos' come-from-behind 31-19 victory.

Minn.-New Orleans, 9/9/10 17.7 Drew Brees leads defending-champion Saints over Brett Favre and Vikings 14-9 in NFC Championship Game rematch in Thursday "NFL Kickoff" opener.
Denver-Indy, 10/20/13 17.3 QB Andrew Luck accounts for 4 TDs to lead Colts to a 39-33 win over Broncos in Peyton Manning's return to Indianapolis.

N.O.-Green Bay, 9/8/11 17.2 Aaron Rodgers passes for 312 yards and three scores to lead defending-champion Packers to 42-34 win over Drew Brees (419 yards and 3 TDs) and Saints in Thursday "NFL Kickoff" opener.

NBC's Sunday Primetime average (13.5/22 from 7-11 p.m. ET in metered-market households) is the highest for any broadcast network on a Sunday night since The Academy Awards on Feb. 24 (22.2/34 on ABC) and topped second-place CBS by 50% (9.0/14).

In the Adults 18-49 demographic, Sunday Night Football easily won the night posting a 10.0 rating - 64% better than the second-ranked show in the demo (6.1 for AMC's "The Walking Dead").
Last night's broadcast peaked at a 19.0/29 from 9:30-10 p.m. ET.

Top 10 Metered Markets:
1. Denver, 49.6/71 - NBC SNF local-market record
2. Indianapolis, 49.1/71 - NBC SNF local-market record
3. Kansas City, 26.7/42
4. New Orleans, 26.1/36
5. Albuquerque, 25.1/37
6. Las Vegas, 23.7/37
7. Sacramemnto, 22.2/35
T8. San Diego, 22.0/37
T8. Richmond, 22.0/33
10. Nashville, 21.8/31

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