or


[09/11/06 - 12:00 AM]
NBC Sunday Night Football' Opener Outrates Every Monday Night Football Opener Since 2000
[via press release from NBC]

'NBC SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL' OPENER OUTRATES EVERY MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL OPENER SINCE 2000

14.3 Rating Up 10% from 2005

NEW YORK � Sept. 11, 2006 � Last night's "NBC Sunday Night Football" debut scored a 14.3 household rating/23 share, outrating every "Monday Night Football" opener since the highly anticipated debut of Dennis Miller in 2000, according to fast national ratings provided by Nielsen Media Research. The showdown between older brother Peyton Manning and the younger Eli (8:15-11:15 p.m. ET), won by the Indianapolis Colts 26-21 at Giants Stadium, was also up ten percent from last year's "MNF" opener (13.0).

The only "MNF" game in the past five years to rate higher featured the undefeated Indianapolis Colts versus the eventual Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers last season (14.8 on 11/28/2005).

After two games, "NBC Sunday Night Football" is averaging a 13.5/22, 10 percent higher than "MNF" after two games in 2005 (12.3/21 � averages include Thursday night season openers). This is the best two game average for the NFL's network primetime package since 2000 (13.8/24).

Viewership numbers will be available later this afternoon.

"NBC Sunday Night Football" Week One Top Metered Markets
1. Indianapolis 34.2/46
2. Memphis 23.5/31
3. Nashville 22.4/32
4. Pittsburgh 21.7/30
5. Denver 20.2/30
6. Richmond 18.6/27
7. Orlando 18.5/26
8. West Palm Beach 18.4/28
9. Charlotte 18.2/27
10. Tampa 18.1/27
11. Cincinnati 17.9/27
12. New York 17.8/26

[EDITOR'S NOTE: What follows is the afternoon update with the final national Nielsen ratings.]

UPDATED: 'NBC SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL' OPENER OUTRATES EVERY MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL OPENER SINCE 2000

14.3 Rating Up 10% from 2005

UPDATED WITH VIEWERSHIP INFORMATION

NEW YORK � Sept. 11, 2006 � Last night's "NBC Sunday Night Football" debut scored a 14.3 household rating/23 share, outrating every "Monday Night Football" opener since the highly anticipated debut of Dennis Miller in 2000, according to fast national ratings provided by Nielsen Media Research. The showdown between older brother Peyton Manning and the younger Eli (8:15-11:15 p.m. ET), won by the Indianapolis Colts 26-21 at Giants Stadium, was also up ten percent from last year's "MNF" opener (13.0).

The only "MNF" game in the past five years to rate higher featured the undefeated Indianapolis Colts versus the eventual Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers last season (14.8 on 11/28/2005).

Last night's game averaged 22.7 million viewers � up 16% from last season's "MNF" opener, and the best viewership number for any primetime regular-season game since the 2000 opener (22.9 million).

50 million total, unduplicated viewers watched last night's "NBC Sunday Night Football," the highest total for a primetime opening game since the 1996 "MNF" opener.

After two games, "NBC Sunday Night Football" is averaging a 13.5/22, 10 percent higher than "MNF" after two games in 2005 (12.3/21 � averages include Thursday night season openers). This is the best two game average for the NFL's network primetime package since 2000 (13.8/24).

Next week and in the weeks thereafter, final national ratings for "NBC Sunday Night Football" will be available Tuesdays.

"NBC Sunday Night Football" Week One Top Metered Markets
1. Indianapolis 34.2/46
2. Memphis 23.5/31
3. Nashville 22.4/32
4. Pittsburgh 21.7/30
5. Denver 20.2/30
6. Richmond 18.6/27
7. Orlando 18.5/26
8. West Palm Beach 18.4/28
9. Charlotte 18.2/27
10. Tampa 18.1/27
11. Cincinnati 17.9/27
12. New York 17.8/26





  [september 2006]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
     


· MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL (ABC)
· SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL (NBC)




[05/27/26 - 12:31 PM]
Prime Video Unveils New and Returning Canadian Originals at 2026 Amazon Upfront
Prime Video also debuted trailers for "Young Farts Trailer Parts," executive produced by Jacob Tierney and premiering July 17, and "Operation Deception."
[05/27/26 - 12:17 PM]
USA Sports Announces 2026 Schedule for Inaugural Season of New Pac-12 Football Coverage on USA Network
USA Network's 22-game slate features multiple appearances by all eight Pac-12 schools with at least one home game for every team, showcasing each unique gameday experience throughout the Pac-12.
[05/27/26 - 12:16 PM]
FOX Sports Unveils Powerhouse 2026 College Football Schedule
In 2026, FOX Sports is home to 137 college football games across the FOX family of networks - including 89 Big Ten conference games across FOX, FS1 and BTN.

[05/27/26 - 12:02 PM]
2025 National Champion Indiana Hoosiers, Michigan Wolverines, and Iowa State vs. Iowa Headline Early-Season Big Ten Football Schedule Across NBC and Peacock
NBC Sports' Big Ten coverage starts on Saturday, August 29, as the USC Trojans host the San Jose State Spartans at 3 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock.
[05/27/26 - 12:01 PM]
Powerhouse Presentations, Ranked Showdowns and Conference Clashes Fuel ESPN's Blockbuster Broadcast Schedule for the 2026-27 College Football Season
More than 1,000 games will be set for ESPN networks with every showdown streaming on the ESPN App.
[05/27/26 - 12:01 PM]
The CW Network Unveils 2026 College Football Schedule
The season kicks off with a Week 0 ACC non-conference game as New Mexico State visits Florida State for a primetime showdown on Saturday, August 29 at 7:00pm ET/4:00pm PT.
[05/27/26 - 10:01 AM]
Prime Video Orders Three New Animated Series from GenAI Creators' Fund, Backed by Amazon MGM Studios and AWS
Powering all of this is Project Nara, Amazon MGM Studios' purpose-built AI production platform for cinematic storytelling, built on AWS.
[05/27/26 - 09:01 AM]
Video: Marvel Animation's "X-Men '97" Season 2 - Official Trailer
Time to get the X-Men back to the 90s.
[05/27/26 - 09:01 AM]
"Project Runway" Reveals 22 Designers for Its 22nd Season
Season 22 debuts in the evening on July 9 on Freeform and will stream shortly after on Hulu and Disney+, followed by weekly airings.
[05/27/26 - 09:00 AM]
"The Book of Mormon" Original Cast to Perform at "The 79th Annual Tony Awards" Live Sunday, June 7 on CBS
The entire original cast, including Tony Award nominees Josh Gad, Andrew Rannells and Rory O'Malley and Tony Award winner Nikki M. James, will take the stage to celebrate the show's 15th anniversary on Broadway.
[05/27/26 - 08:31 AM]
Spotify & Netflix Partner with Jay Shetty to Bring "On Purpose" Video to Both Services
Netflix will bring the visual series to its members worldwide, while Spotify will serve as the global sales representative for the show and offer fans the flexibility to seamlessly watch or listen within a single app.
[05/27/26 - 08:06 AM]
Video: BritBox Debuts Teaser Trailer and Announces September 15th Premiere Date for "Agatha Christie's Tommy & Tuppence"
The six-part adaptation of the Agatha Christie novels and short stories stars Antonia Thomas, Josh Dylan, and Imelda Staunton.
[05/27/26 - 08:04 AM]
Modern Greek Noir Thriller "Save Me" Makes U.S. Debut on the Viaplay Streaming Service Beginning Thursday, June 18
The eight-episode crime drama follows a missing-person investigation that soon spirals into the hunt for a serial killer.

[05/27/26 - 08:01 AM]
Video: "Groundswell" - Official Trailer - Prime Video
The answer is beneath our feet. "Groundswell" premieres June 5.
[05/27/26 - 07:46 AM]
Alex Murdaugh Is the Focus of the Debut Episode of "Instadocs," A New Quick-Turn Doc Series
The new fast-turnaround documentary series takes you to the very center of the loudest headlines, immersing you in the facts and feelings of the moment.