NBC's SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL Scores Big Ratings

By: Caryn Robbins Oct. 22, 2013

NBC's Sunday Night Football - Primetime television's #1 show - is averaging 22.7 million viewers, marking the best seven-week start for an NFL Primetime package in 17 years (24.8 million in 1996 for Monday Night Football) and up 5% from last year (21.6 million average).

In addition, SNF tops Primetime TV in season-to-date live plus same day household rating (13.4 - best in 15 years for NFL Primetime package after seven weeks) and Adults 18-49 rating (8.8 - best in 16 years).

Sunday's Colts-Broncos game featuring Peyton Manning's return to Indianapolis averaged 26.9 million viewers (15.9 HH rating), ranking as the most-watched October NFL Primetime telecast in 21 years (33.0 million viewers for Cowboys-Eagles on ABC, 10/5/92) and the most-watched October Primetime telecast of any kind since 2005.

Since Sept. 1, NBC's NFL telecasts rank as television's seven most-watched Primetime shows and account for seven of the eight Primetime programs to average 20 million viewers (other: NCIS season premiere).

Viewership for the Colts' 39-33 victory was up 54% from last year's Week 7 game (17.5 million for Steelers-Bengals) and is the fourth-highest Sunday viewership in the eight-year history of NBC's Primetime package (not including "NFL Kickoff" games). Following are the most-watched Sunday NBC regular-season games since the debut of Sunday Night Football in 2006:

Game, Date Avg. Viewers Highlights

Dallas-Wash., 12/30/12 30.3 million 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.

Dallas-NY Giants, 1/1/12 27.62 million Eli Manning passes for 346 yards and 3 TDs to lead Giants to NFC East title with 31-14 victory in "win-and-in" Week 17 matchup.

Pittsburgh-Denver, 9/9/12 27.57 million 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.

Denver-Indy, 10/20/13 26.9 million QB Andrew Luck accounts for 4 TDs to lead Colts to a 39-33 win over Broncos in Peyton Manning's return to Indianapolis.

Dallas-NY Jets, 9/11/11 25.8 million Jets come back from 14-point, fourth-quarter deficit to win season-opener 27-24 on Nick Folk's field goal with 27 seconds remaining.

Digitally, Broncos-Colts delivered NBC Sports Live Extra's best stream ever in total uniques (356,403), total visits (382,548) and total minutes (19,588,823) for a non-Super Bowl NFL game. For the year, the 2013 NFL season's streaming traffic on NBC Sports Live Extra is up in all three categories: total uniques (36%), total visits (35%) and total minutes (42%).

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