Game Averages 11 Million Viewers – Up 29% From Last Year & Ranks as Most-Watched Sporting Event since Women’s World Cup Final
STAMFORD, Conn. – August 11, 2015 – NBC’s telecast of the Minnesota Vikings’ 14-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Sunday night’s NFL/Hall of Fame Game averaged 11.0 million viewers, ranking as the most-watched preseason NFL game on any network in five years, since NBC’s telecast of the 2010 NFL/Hall of Fame Game (11.4 million for Bengals-Cowboys), according to official national ratings released today by The Nielsen Company.
Vikings-Steelers topped last year’s NFL/Hall of Fame Game telecast by 29% (8.5 million viewers for Giants-Bills) and ranks as the most-watched sporting event since the Women’s World Cup Final on July 5, which featured the victorious U.S. team (Fox, 22.3 million viewers).
The telecast (8:11-11 p.m. ET), which earned a 6.6/12 U.S. household rating, led NBC to Sunday primetime victories in household rating, viewership and the Adult 18-49 demographic.
NBC’s second preseason game will air on Sunday, Aug. 30 at 8 p.m. ET and features wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald and the Arizona Cardinals visiting quarterback Derek Carr and the Oakland Raiders.
NBC TO BROADCAST 19 NFL GAMES IN 2015: As part of the agreement NBC signed with the NFL in December 2011, NBC, for the fourth straight season, will broadcast 19 regular-season games, including 17 regular-season Sunday Night Football games, NFL Kickoff 2015, and the annual Thanksgiving night game. NBC’s original Sunday Night Football agreement, which began in 2006, included 17 regular-season games. It was increased to 18 games in 2010.
SNF IS NO. 1 PRIMETIME PROGRAM ON TELEVISION: For four consecutive full television seasons, NBC’s Sunday Night Football has finished as the No. 1 show in primetime in household rating, viewership and the coveted Adult 18-49 demographic, based on live plus same day data from The Nielsen Company (September-May). This marks the only four times on record that a sports series has been the highest-rated and most-watched show of the primetime TV season. For the 2014-2015 primetime television season, Sunday Night Football ranked as the highest-rated (12.5 HH rating), most-watched show (21.3 million, viewers 2+), and the No. 1 program in the key Adults 18-49 demographic (7.7 rating).
| 2015 NBC SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL SCHEDULE | ||
| Thurs. Sept. 10 | NFL Kickoff | Pittsburgh Steelers at New England Patriots |
| Sun. Sept. 13 | Week 1 | New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys |
| Sun. Sept. 20 | Week 2 | Seattle Seahawks at Green Bay Packers |
| Sun. Sept. 27 | Week 3 | Denver Broncos at Detroit Lions |
| Sun. Oct. 4 | Week 4 | Dallas Cowboys at New Orleans Saints |
| *Sun. Oct. 11 | Week 5 | San Francisco 49ers at New York Giants |
| *Sun. Oct. 18 | Week 6 | New England Patriots at Indianapolis Colts |
| *Sun. Oct. 25 | Week 7 | Philadelphia Eagles at Carolina Panthers |
| *Sun. Nov. 1 | Week 8 | Green Bay Packers at Denver Broncos |
| *Sun. Nov. 8 | Week 9 | Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys |
| *Sun. Nov. 15 | Week 10 | Arizona Cardinals at Seattle Seahawks |
| *Sun. Nov. 22 | Week 11 | Kansas City Chiefs at San Diego Chargers |
| **Thurs. Nov. 26 | Week 12 | Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers |
| *Sun. Nov. 29 | Week 12 | New England Patriots at Denver Broncos |
| *Sun. Dec. 6 | Week 13 | Indianapolis Colts at Pittsburgh Steelers |
| *Sun. Dec. 13 | Week 14 | Seattle Seahawks at Baltimore Ravens |
| *Sun. Dec. 20 | Week 15 | Cincinnati Bengals at San Francisco 49ers |
| *Sun. Dec. 27 | Week 16 | Pittsburgh Steelers at Baltimore Ravens |
| *Sun. Jan. 3 | Week 17 | TBD |
*Flex Week
** Thanksgiving Night Game
--NBC SPORTS GROUP--