NBC's SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL is NFL's Most-Watched West Coast Primetime Game Ever
By: Caryn Robbins Sep. 16, 2014
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).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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