or


[01/06/21 - 10:58 AM]
Decade of Dominance: NBC's "Sunday Night Football" Concludes Season on Pace to Be TV's #1 Primetime Show for Unprecedented 10th Consecutive Year
NBC Sports spins the numbers for the decade to date.

[via press release from NBC Sports]

DECADE OF DOMINANCE: NBC'S "SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL" CONCLUDES SEASON ON PACE TO BE TV'S #1 PRIMETIME SHOW FOR UNPRECEDENTED 10TH CONSECUTIVE YEAR

NBC SNF Tops Primetime Competition in Average Viewership and HH Rating & Delivers 7 of 10 Most-Watched Primetime Telecasts on Any Network Since September

SNF Wins among Adults 18-49 for 13th Consecutive Fall Season

NBC's Football Night in America is Sports' #1 Weekly Studio Show for 15th Consecutive Year

NBC Sports Digital Sets SNF Streaming Record for Average Minute Audience, Up 24% from 2019

STAMFORD, Conn. - Jan. 6, 2021 - With last Sunday night's Washington-Philadelphia matchup, NBC concluded its 15th season of Sunday Night Football, topping all primetime television series in the fall and once again pacing to finish as primetime's #1 TV show in all key metrics for an unprecedented 10th consecutive year. NBC's SNF extended its record for the most consecutive years atop the charts (since 1950), based on official live plus same day data provided by Nielsen.

Most Consecutive Years, #1 Ranked Show in Primetime, Since 1950

10 years in a row - Sunday Night Football (2011-12 through 2020-21; on pace)

6 years in a row - American Idol (2005-06 through 2010-11)

5 years in a row - The Cosby Show (1985-86 through 1989-90)... tied Cheers in '89-90

5 years in a row - All in the Family (1971-72 through 1975-76)

4 years in a row - Gunsmoke (1957-58 through 1960-61)

NBC Sunday Night Football posted a Total Audience Delivery (TAD) average of 17.4 million viewers for the 2020 season, according to official national live plus same day data released by Nielsen, and digital data from Adobe Analytics.

"We salute our tireless production and engineering teams, NFL players, and clubs for their effort and perseverance in completing a most challenging season. We are extremely proud of our decade as primetime television's No. 1 show, and are looking forward to the playoffs," said Pete Bevacqua, Chairman, NBC Sports Group. "It's tremendous to be airing two games on NBC on Super Wild Card Weekend, including the first-ever NFL game streamed on our new Peacock platform and the first-ever NFL postseason game on the Telemundo broadcast network."

NBC SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL AMONG GREATEST DYNASTIES IN AMERICAN SPORTS

Following is a look at NBC SNF's 10 years of primetime dominance in the context of the winningest decades of great American sports dynasties:

Dominant 10-Year Spans in U.S. Team Sports

10 times TV's #1 primetime show - NBC Sunday Night Football (2011-12 through 2020-21; on pace)

9 NBA championships - Boston Celtics (1956-57 to 1965-66)

9 NCAA Division I Men's College Basketball championships - UCLA (1963-64 to 1972-73)

7 World Series championships - New York Yankees (multiple times)

6 Stanley Cup championships - Toronto Maple Leafs (1941-42 to 1950-51) and Montreal Canadiens (multiple times)

6 NCAA Division I Women's College Basketball championships - Connecticut (2008-09 to 2015-16)

5 NFL championships - Green Bay Packers (1961-67)

5 NCAA Division I Football championships (since 1900) - Minnesota (1934-41) and Alabama (2009-17)

· FOOTBALL NIGHT IN AMERICA IS MOST-WATCHED STUDIO SHOW FOR 15TH CONSECUTIVE YEAR

NBC's Football Night in America studio show averaged 6.0 million viewers from 7:30-8:15 p.m. ET this season. FNIA continues its reign as sports' most-watched weekly studio show for the 15th consecutive year (since the show's 2006 debut season). In addition, the 8-8:23 p.m. ET portion of Football Night in America (including pre-kick coverage), averaged 10.4 million viewers, and a 3.0 rating among Adults 18-49, which would respectively rank No. 5 and No. 4 among regularly-scheduled primetime shows in the demographic.

· SNF POSTS HUGE VIEWERSHIP & RATINGS ADVANTAGES OVER PRIMETIME'S #2 SHOW

NBC Sunday Night Football averaged 16.8 million TV viewers in 2020, which topped the #2 primetime show by 19%. SNF also beat the top scripted series (NCIS) by 73% in the fall.

Top Fall 2020 Primetime Programs, Viewership (TV only)

Program Avg. Viewers SNF Advantage

Sunday Night Football 16.8 million --

Thursday Night Football* 14.1 million 19%

Monday Night Football 12.2 million 38%

60 Minutes 11.1 million 51%

NCIS 9.7 million 73%

(Source: Nielsen, Live + Same Day Viewing, Sept. 10, 2020-Jan. 3, 2021; regularly-scheduled programs; excludes pre- and post-shows); *9 FOX/NFLN telecasts

SNF averaged an 9.3/20 household rating in posting a 21% advantage over primetime's #2 show. SNF also easily topped the highest-rated scripted series (NCIS), with a 60% margin.

Top Fall 2020 Primetime Programs, U.S. HH Rating (TV only)

Program U.S. HH Rating SNF Advantage

Sunday Night Football 9.3 --

Thursday Night Football* 7.7 21%

Monday Night Football 6.9 35%

60 Minutes 6.7 39%

NCIS 5.8 60%

(Source: Nielsen, Live + Same Day Viewing, Sept. 10, 2020-Jan. 3, 2021; regularly-scheduled programs; excludes pre- and post-shows); *9 FOX/NFLN telecasts

· DEMO DOMINANCE -- SNF WINS ADULT 18-49 DEMO FOR 13TH CONSECUTIVE FALL SEASON

SNF averaged a 4.9 rating in the Adult 18-49 demographic, ranking as primetime television's #1 show in the advertiser-coveted demo for the 13th consecutive fall TV season.

Top Fall 2020 Primetime Programs, Adult 18-49 Rating (TV only)

Program Adult 18-49 Rating SNF Advantage

Sunday Night Football 4.9 --

Thursday Night Football* 4.1 20%

Monday Night Football 3.7 32%

The Masked Singer 1.7 188%

60 Minutes 1.4 250%

(Source: Nielsen, Live + Same Day Viewing, Sept. 10, 2020-Jan. 3, 2021; regularly-scheduled programs; excludes pre- and post-shows); *9 FOX/NFLN telecasts

NBC SNF GAMES PRODUCE 7 OF 10 MOST-WATCHED PRIMETIME SHOWS THIS FALL

NBC Sunday Night Football accounted for seven of the top 10, and 14 of the 20 most-watched primetime telecasts between Sept. 10, 2020 and Jan. 3, 2021.

Most-Watched Primetime Shows This Fall (Sept. 10, 2020-Jan. 3, 2021), TV only

Show, Date Avg. Viewers

NBC Sunday Night Football (Texans-Chiefs), 9/10 20.6 million

NBC Sunday Night Football (Chiefs-Raiders), 11/22 19.6 million

ESPN CFP Semifinal (Ohio State-Clemson), 1/1 19.1 million*

NBC Sunday Night Football (Cowboys-Rams), 9/13 19.0 million

NBC Sunday Night Football (Titans-Packers), 12/27 18.4 million

FOX News Presidential Debate, 9/29 17.9 million

NBC Sunday Night Football (Packers-Saints), 9/27 17.9 million

NBC Sunday Night Football (Patriots-Seahawks), 9/20 17.8 million

CBS 60 Minutes, 10/25 17.4 million

NBC Sunday Night Football (Broncos-Chiefs), 12/6 17.1 million

Source: Nielsen, Live + Same Day Data, 9/10/20-1/3/21; Excludes Pre- and Post-Shows

*Viewership across three television networks

SNF AVERAGE (P2+) VIEWERSHIP RANK AMONG PRIMETIME SHOWS: Fall TV Season Full TV Season
2020 No. 1 Show 1st (through 1/3/21)
2019 No. 1 Show 1st
2018 No. 1 Show 1st
2017 No. 1 Show 1st
2016 No. 1 Show 1st
2015 No. 1 Show 1st
2014 No. 1 Show 1st
2013 No. 1 Show 1st
2012 No. 1 Show 1st
2011 No. 1 Show 1st
2010 No. 1 Show 3rd
2009 No. 2 Show 4th
2008 No. 5 Show 8th
2007 No. 7 Show 8th
2006 No. 7 Show 9th

Source: The Nielsen Company, Live + Same Day Viewing

SNF SETS STREAMING RECORD: NBC Sports Digital hit another viewership milestone for Sunday Night Football in 2020, with a record Average Minute Audience of 571,000 viewers across NBCSports.com, the NBC Sports app, NFL Digital platforms, and Verizon Media mobile properties - up 24% from the prior record (459,000) set last year.

SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL TOP 20 METERED MARKETS - 2020 SEASON:

For the third consecutive year, and sixth time (2010, 2011 and 2013) in 11 seasons, New Orleans was the top-rated SNF market. Milwaukee was the top-rated SNF market in 2017 and 2012, while Denver ranked #1 for three consecutive seasons from 2014-16.

1. New Orleans 20.2/30
2. Kansas City 18.9/32
3. Seattle 18.4/34
4. Milwaukee 16.8/30
5. Albuquerque 15.0/25
T6. Philadelphia 14.1/25
T6. San Diego 14.1/27
T6. Las Vegas 14.1/25
9. Pittsburgh 14.0/24
10. Buffalo 13.8/23
11. Sacramento 13.7/26
12. Denver 13.5/26
13. Richmond 13.3/24
14. Nashville 13.2/23
15. Baltimore 12.7/23
T16. Providence 12.6/23
T16. Dallas 12.6/25
18. Minneapolis 12.5/26
T19. Washington, D.C. 12.2/24
T19. Portland 12.2/25

NBC will televise a pair of games on NFL Super Wild Card Weekend. This Saturday, Jan. 9 in primetime, six-time Super Bowl-winner Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers visit Alex Smith and the NFC East champion Washington Football Team, with coverage beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET with a special Football Night in America. Then on Sunday night Jan. 10, two-time NFL champion Ben Roethlisberger and the AFC North-winner Pittsburgh Steelers host Baker Mayfield and the division-rival Cleveland Browns, with coverage beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET with a special FNIA on NBC and Peacock.

--SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL--





  [january 2021]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
     


· FOOTBALL NIGHT IN AMERICA (NBC)
· SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL (NBC)





most recent ratings | view all posts
[10/31/25 - 02:22 PM]
FOX Sports Hits 14.6 Million Viewers for Game 5 of the World Series
The telecast reached a peak viewership of 16,034,000 viewers on FOX between 10:00-10:15 PM ET.

[10/31/25 - 10:42 AM]
"Dancing with the Stars" Scares Up More Wins - Rising for Historic Sixth Week in a Row
"Dancing with the Stars" is the only fall show to increase its overall audience for six consecutive weeks following its season premiere.

[10/31/25 - 06:31 AM]
ESPN Networks Deliver Record College Football Viewership at the Midway Point of the Season, "College GameDay" Continues on Historic Run
Through nine weeks, ESPN networks are averaging 2.3 million viewers per game, their largest audience since 2009 and an increase of 20 percent year-over-year.

[10/30/25 - 03:05 PM]
14.8 Million Viewers Tuned in for World Series Game 4 Across FOX, FOX Deportes & FOX Sports Streaming Services
Viewership peaked at 16,695,000 viewers on FOX between 10:00-10:15 PM ET.

[10/30/25 - 03:01 PM]
Debut of NBC Sports' "Coast 2 Coast Tuesday" Delivers NBA's Largest Pre-Christmas Tuesday Audience Since 1996
"Coast 2 Coast Tuesday" - featuring the New York Knicks at Milwaukee Bucks (8 p.m. ET) and LA Clippers at Golden State Warriors (11 p.m. ET) - averaged 3.0 million viewers in primetime across NBC and Peacock.

[10/28/25 - 02:07 PM]
"Sunday Night Football" on Record Pace Through Week 8, Averaging 24.7 Million Viewers on NBC and Peacock
Packers-Steelers audience peaked at 28.2 million viewers on NBC and Peacock in the second quarter (9:15-9:30 p.m. ET).

[10/28/25 - 12:01 PM]
Netflix Top 10: Week of October 20 - "A House of Dynamite" Hits the Target at No. 1 in This Week's Top 10
Plus: "Nobody Wants This," "The Elixir," and "The Monster of Florence" rise to the top in their opening weekends.

[10/27/25 - 12:03 PM]
Second-Most Viewed NBA Opening Week on ESPN Since 2014; "Inside the NBA" Averaged 1M Viewers in Its Opening Week Debut on ESPN
Last week's NBA coverage averaged 2.2 million viewers.

[10/24/25 - 02:54 PM]
ESPN's Third-Most Watched NBA Season-Opening Wednesday Ever
The two-game slate averaged 2.33 million viewers, up 44 percent from last year.

[10/24/25 - 02:02 PM]
"20/20" Is Friday's Most-Watched Newsmagazine Across the Board
In addition, "20/20" posted its best Adults 25-54 in more than four months.

[10/24/25 - 02:01 PM]
ABC News' "Nightline" Ranks No. 1 Across the Board, Leading NBC in All Key Demos for the 4th Straight Week
"Nightline" grew year to year across the board: Total Viewers, Adults 25-54, and Adults 18-49.

[10/24/25 - 01:05 PM]
"Dancing with the Stars" Makes Television History - Rising for Fifth Straight Week
The October 21 episode scored 6.63 million Total Viewers and a 1.38 rating among Adults 18-49, hitting new season highs in both demographics.

[10/23/25 - 02:33 PM]
Largest Audience for "NBA Tip-Off" Doubleheader Since 2010 as NBA Returned to NBC and Debuted on Peacock
Tuesday night's audience across NBC and Peacock peaked at 7.1 million viewers from 10:45-11 p.m. ET as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder to a one-point win over the Houston Rockets in double overtime.

[10/23/25 - 11:28 AM]
"High Potential" Rises to Season High as Show Nears Fall Finale
ABC's popular drama rose to a multiplatform season high in Total Viewers (12.50 million) and Adults 18-49 (2.31 rating) after seven days of viewing on ABC, Hulu, Hulu on Disney+ and digital platforms.

[10/22/25 - 03:06 PM]
FOX Sports Delivers Most-Watched ALCS Game Since 2017
9,028,000 viewers tuned in across FOX, FS1, FOX Deportes & FOX Sports streaming services for the Toronto Blue Jays' ALCS Game 7 victory over the Seattle Mariners.