FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, September 5th, 2014
NEARLY 27 MILLION WATCH “NFL KICKOFF” ON NBC; 3RD MOST-WATCHED “NFL KICKOFF” GAME IN 13-YEAR HISTORY
Packers-Seahawks Viewership Up 7% From ’13 Opener
Game’s 15.5 HH Rating Up 4% From Last Year
More Than 25 Million Live Stream Minutes Consumed — NBC Sports Live Extra Record for non-Olympic, non-Super Bowl Event
STAMFORD, Conn. – September 5, 2014 – The Seattle Seahawks’ 20-point victory over the Green Bay Packers in last night’s “NFL Kickoff” on NBC was watched by 26.9 million viewers — up 7% from last year’s opening-game and ranking as the third-most watched “NFL Kickoff” game in the 13-year history of the event, according to fast national data released today by The Nielsen Company.
The Super Bowl Champion Seahawks’ 36-16 victory, led by QB Russell Wilson (two touchdown passes) and RB Marshawn Lynch (110 rushing yards and two touchdowns), aired from 8:42 PM-11:30 PM ET and is television’s most-watched show since the 2014 Academy Awards (43.7 million viewers on March 2).
Last night’s 26.9 million average viewership was up 7% over last year’s “NFL Kickoff” game (25.1 million for Ravens-Broncos), and ranks as the third-most watched “NFL Kickoff” game, trailing only the 2011 Saints-Packers thriller between the two previous Super Bowl winners (27.1 million), and the 2010 opener (Vikings-Saints, 27.5 million) featuring an NFC Championship Game rematch, as Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings visited the then-defending Super Bowl-champion New Orleans Saints.
Last night’s game had a national household rating of 15.5/26, making it the third-highest rated NFL Kickoff game behind 2010 (16.5/28) and 2011 (16.0/26), and up 4% from last year’s opener (14.9/26). The highest-rated half hour was 9:30-10:00 PM ET with a 17.1/28.
DIGITAL: NBC Sports Live Extra’s live stream of last night’s NFL Kickoff generated record-setting digital numbers. Fans consumed more than 25 million minutes, setting a new NBC Sports Live Extra record and making it the highest-trafficked non-Olympic, non-Super Bowl live stream in NBC Sports Digital history.
The 25 million minutes live streamed tops last year’s “NFL Kickoff” game by 21% (20.5 million minutes). It also shattered by nearly 4 million minutes the previous record for an NFL game on NBC, set in last year’s thrilling Week 12 “Manning-Brady XIV” Denver-New England SNF game, highlighted by Tom Brady leading the Patriots back from a 24-0 halftime deficit to top Peyton Manning and the Broncos 34-31 in overtime (21.3 million minutes).
NBC Sports Live Extra also posted a record-setting 507,662 unique viewers for Packers-Seahawks – topping last year’s “NFL Kickoff” game by 51%.
NFL KICKOFF VIEWERSHIP:
(All Games on Thursday Night Except for 2012)
2014 | NBC | 26.9 million | (Seattle 36 – Green Bay 16) |
2013 | NBC | 25.1 million | (Denver 49 – Baltimore 27) |
2012 | NBC | 23.9 million | (Dallas 24 – NY Giants 17)** |
2011 | NBC | 27.1 million | (Green Bay 42 – New Orleans 34) |
2010 | NBC | 27.5 million | (New Orleans 14 – Minnesota 9) |
2009 | NBC | 20.9 million | (Pittsburgh 13 – Tennessee 10) |
2008 | NBC | 13.5 million | (NY Giants 16 – Washington 7)* |
2007 | NBC | 17.8 million | (Indianapolis 41 – New Orleans 10) |
2006 | NBC | 19.2 million | (Pittsburgh 28 – Miami 17) |
2005 | ABC | 18.0 million | (New England 30 – Oakland 20) |
2004 | ABC | 16.9 million | (New England 27 – Indianapolis 24) |
2003 | ABC | 19.1 million | (Washington 16 – NY Jets 13) |
2002 | ESPN | 10.8 million | (San Francisco 16 – NY Giants 13) |
** Wednesday Night Game (First Wednesday NFL game since 1948)
* Early start due to Republican National Convention
TOP METERED MARKETS FOR PACKERS-SEAHAWKS:
1. Milwaukee | 44.0/64 |
2. Seattle | 42.2/73 |
3. Minneapolis | 26.6/44 |
4. New Orleans | 25.2/38 |
5. Sacramento | 21.2/35 |
6. San Diego | 20.8/37 |
7. Denver | 20.7/34 |
8. Norfolk | 20.7/32 |
9. Nashville | 20.6/31 |
10. Portland | 20.4/38 |
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