FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, May 25th, 2017

NBC’S “SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL” IS PRIMETIME TELEVISION’S NO. 1 SHOW FOR RECORD SIXTH CONSECUTIVE YEAR AS TV SEASON ENDS

SNF No. 1 in Primetime in Viewership & HH Rating

SNF Wins Key Adult 18-49 Demo for 7th Consecutive TV Season

Sunday Night Football’s TV-Only Average of 20.3 Million Viewers Tops All Other Primetime Shows in Live+Same Day AND Time-Shifted Viewing

STAMFORD, Conn. – May 25, 2017 – With the 2016-17 TV season wrapping up last night, NBC’s Sunday Night Football finished as primetime’s #1 TV show in all key metrics for a record sixth consecutive year – tying American Idol for the most consecutive years atop the charts (since 1950), based on live plus same day data provided by The Nielsen Company. Sunday Night Football also ranked as the No. 1 show in the advertiser-coveted 18-49 demographic for the seventh consecutive TV season.

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

6 years in a row – Sunday Night Football (2011-12 through 2016-17)

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

5 years in a rowThe Cosby Show (1985-86 through 1989-90)…tied Cheers in ‘89-90

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

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

Top 2016-17 Primetime Programs, Viewership

Program Avg. Viewers   SNF Advantage  
Sunday Night Football 20.3 million
NBC Thursday Night Football* 17.0 million 19%
CBS Thursday Night Football**   14.7 million 38%
NCIS 14.6 million 39%
Big Bang Theory 14.0 million 45%

(Source: The Nielsen Company, Live + Same Day Viewing, Sept.8, 2016-May 23, 2017; regularly-scheduled programs excluding repeats and pre/post games)

*5 NBC/NFLN telecasts; **5 CBS/NFLN telecasts

SNF’s Live + Same Day Viewership Tops Rivals’ Time Shifted Viewership, 2016-17 TV Season

Sunday Night Football (Live+Same Day) vs. Primetime (Live+7)

Series Average Viewership   Metric
NBC Sunday Night Football 20.3 million Live + Same Day*
Big Bang Theory  19.1 million Live + 7**
NCIS 18.5 million Live + 7**
NBC/NFLN Thursday Night Football   17.0 million Live + Same Day*
The Walking Dead 16.4 million Live + 7**

*Live + Same Day Viewing, Sept.8, 2016-May 23, 2017

** Live + 7 Viewing, Sept.8, 2016-May 7, 2017

Source: The Nielsen Company; regularly-scheduled programs excluding repeats and pre/post games

Also notable from the 2016-17 TV season:

  • The Total Audience Delivery (TAD) for the 2016 Sunday Night Football season on NBC and NBC Sports Digital was 20.5 million viewers. NBC Sports Group’s Total Audience Delivery measures broader consumption by calculating average minute viewing across broadcast, cable, and digital.
  • For the 2016-17 primetime television season, Sunday Night Football ranked as the highest-rated (11.4 HH rating) and most-watched show (20.3 million TV-only viewers), and the No. 1 program among Adults 18-49 (7.0).
  • Since the beginning of the 2011-12 TV season, only nine primetime shows have averaged 20+ million viewers, all on NBCSunday Night Football six times, the 2012 London Summer Games, the 2014 Sochi Winter Games, and the 2016 Rio Summer Games (minimum 10 telecasts).
  • SNF’s six-year run at the top marks the only six times on record that a sports series has been the highest-rated and most-watched show of the primetime TV season.

NBC NFL GAMES PRODUCE 13 OF 25 MOST-WATCHED PRIMETIME SHOWS THIS SEASON

Only 25 primetime telecasts between Sept. 8, 2016 and May 23, 2017 averaged at least 20 million viewers – NBC’s Sunday Night Football, NBC/NFL Network Thursday Night Football and NBC NFL Playoff games accounted for 13 (chart below; excludes pre/postgames).

Following are the programs topping 20 million primetime viewers this TV season:

Program Telecasts with 20 Million Viewers
NBC Sunday Night Football 10
NFL Postseason Games (2 on NBC) 5
World Series 3
NBC/NFLN Thursday Night Football 1
BCS Championship Game 1
NCAA Men’s Basketball Final 1
Academy Awards 1
Golden Globes 1
Grammy Awards 1
60 Minutes 1


*Five NFL postseason games in primetime: Super Bowl XLI (FOX), AFC Championship Game (CBS), AFC Divisional Playoff (CBS), AFC Divisional Playoff (NBC), NFC Wild Card Playoff (NBC)

–NBC SPORTS GROUP–