22.2 Million Viewers for Game Up 8% from ’13 Week 2 SNF
NBC Dominates Primetime Competition – Topping All Broadcast Nets in Viewership & All Key Demos on Sunday
Best National HH Rating for Bears Primetime Game in 17 Years; 49ers Post Best Local Primetime Rating in 11 Years
STAMFORD, Conn. – September 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).
- The 12.9/22 national rating was the best for a Bears regular-season primetime game in 17 years (15.0/26 for Bears-Packers, 9/1/97 on ABC).
- Sunday’s game marked the 49ers’ best local regular-season primetime rating (27.0/51) in 11 years, since Steelers-49ers on 11/17/03 (27.2/42 on ABC).
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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