FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, October 1st, 2012

DOMINANT NBC SPORTS SUNDAY

Sunday Night Football Draws 15.6/25 Overnight, Best Week 4 Primetime NFL Rating in 16 Years; Powers NBC to Sunday Night Win Ryder Cup Draws Best Final Round Overnight Rating in 13 Years

NEW YORK – October 1, 2012 – NBC Sports dominated the day in sports yesterday with the highest overnight rating for a Week 4 NFL primetime game in 16 years, leading NBC to another Sunday night win, and the best overnight for the final day of the Ryder Cup in 13 years.

SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL:

Last night’s Sunday Night Football game on NBC, in which the Eagles defeated the Giants, 19-17, registered a 15.6 overnight rating and a 25 share (8:30-11:45 p.m. ET), 23% higher than last year’s Week 4 SNF game (Jets-Ravens 12.7/20), and the best overnight rating for a Week 4 primetime game in 16 years (Dolphins-Colts 19.1/29, 9/23/96 on ABC). It also marks the best overnight rating for an NFL primetime game facing the start of the primetime television season in 16 years (Bills-Steelers, 15.7/24, 9/16/96 on ABC).

The Giants and Eagles also met in Week 4 of the 2007 season on Sunday Night Football. That game drew a 10.8 overnight rating and 17 share, down 44% from last night’s game.

The game peaked at a 17.3/33 from 11:30-11:45 p.m. ET.

SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL WEEK 4 GAMES:

2012 Giants Eagles 15.6/25
2011 Jets Ravens 12.7/20
2010 Bears Giants 14.2/22
2009 Chargers Steelers 11.9/19
2008 Eagles Bears 12.3/20
2007 Eagles Giants 10.8/17
2006 Seahawks Bears 11.7/18

DOMINATED SUNDAY NIGHT: Last night’s Sunday Night Football broadcast easily won the night facing original network programs. NBC led the night among metered markets in primetime (7-11 p.m. ET) with an 11.5/18 topping the 7.9/12 for second-place Fox (which was boosted by an NFL overrun) by 46%. NBC also beat CBS (7.6/12) by 51% and ABC (5.8/9) by 98%.

TOP 10 METERED MARKETS FOR GIANTS-EAGLES:

1. Philadelphia 31.8/46
2. Richmond 22.1/33
3. Norfolk 22.0/33
4. Las Vegas 21.2/33
5. New York 20.7/31
T6. Washington, D.C. 18.0/30
T6. Baltimore 18.0/27
T6. Memphis 18.0/25
9. Albuquerque 17.7/28
10. New Orleans 17.2/23

RYDER CUP:

Golf Channel on NBC presented more than 17 hours of Ryder Cup coverage from Medinah Country Club in Medinah, Ill., over the weekend, and drew ratings the event hasn’t seen since in 13 years.

Yesterday’s final round, which saw the European team come back from a 10-6 deficit to retain the Ryder Cup by defeating the U.S. team, 14½ -13½, had the best overnight rating (4.1/9, Noon-6:30 p.m. ET) for the final round of the event in 13 years, since the U.S. team’s stirring comeback to defeat the Europeans and win the Ryder Cup in Brookline, Mass., in 1999 (6.3/15).

The 4.1/9 overnight rating/share for yesterday’s final round is 71% higher than the last Ryder Cup (2.4/7 in 2010 from Newport, Wales), and 21% higher than the last Ryder Cup contested in the U.S. (3.4/7 from Louisville, Ky., in 2008).

RYDER CUP FINAL ROUND SINCE 1999:

2012 4.1/9, Medinah, Ill.
2010 2.4/7, Newport, Wales
2008 3.4/7, Louisville, Ky.
2006 2.7/8, Kildare, Ireland
2004 3.4/7, Detroit, Mich.
2002 3.9/12, Blefry, England
1999 6.3/15, Brookline, Mass.

TOP 10 MARKETS FOR RYDER CUP FINAL ROUND:

1. West Palm Beach 8.1/16
2. Ft. Myers 7.6/15
3. Greensboro 6.8/13
4. Louisville 6.6/13
5. Chicago 6.5/15
6. Greenville/Spartenburg 6.4/11
7. Detroit 6.0/11
8. Richmond 5.8/10
T9. Columbus 5.4/11
T9. Knoxville 5.4/10

Saturday’s Ryder Cup coverage (9 a.m – 7:45 p.m.) drew a 3.2/8, up 52% from 2010 (2.1/6), up 14% from 2008, and tied 2006 as the best second day for Ryder Cup since 2004 (3.9/9 from Detroit).

Follow NBC Sports PR on Twitter @NBCSportsPR

Follow “Sunday Night Football” on Twitter @SNFonNBC

Follow NBC SportsTalk on Twitter @NBCSportsTalk

Become a fan of “Sunday Night Football” on Facebook at: facebook.com/snfonnbc