FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, May 19th, 2021

A DECADE AT NO. 1! NBC’S “SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL” FINISHES TV SEASON AS PRIMETIME’S NO. 1 SHOW FOR UNPRECEDENTED 10TH CONSECUTIVE YEAR

SNF No. 1 in Primetime in Viewership & HH Rating as TV Season Ends Tonight

SNF Finishes TV Season as #1 Show Among Adults 18-49 For 11th Consecutive Year

Fans Can Vote on their Favorite SNF Moment over Past 10 Years in Special “A Decade of Sunday N#1ghts” Bracket on @SNFonNBC Instagram Story

STAMFORD, Conn. – May 19, 2021 – With the 2020-21 TV season wrapping up tonight, NBC’s Sunday Night Football finishes as primetime’s #1 TV show in all key metrics for an unprecedented 10th consecutive year – adding to its record for the most consecutive years atop the charts (since 1950), based on official live plus same day data provided by Nielsen. Sunday Night Football also ranked as the No. 1 show in the advertiser-coveted 18-49 demographic for the 11th consecutive TV season.

NBC Sunday Night Football posted a Total Audience Delivery average of 17.4 million viewers in 2020, according to official live plus same day data released by Nielsen, and digital data from Adobe Analytics.

“We salute our tireless production and engineering teams, NFL players, and clubs for their effort and perseverance in completing a most challenging season,” said Pete Bevacqua, Chairman, NBC Sports Group. “We are extremely proud of our decade as primetime television’s No. 1 show, and look forward to another great season of Sunday Night Football beginning in September.”

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

10 years in a row – Sunday Night Football (2011-12 through 2020-21)

6 years in a row – American Idol (2005-06 through 2010-11)

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

5 years in a row – All in the Family (1971-72 through 1975-76)

4 years in a row – Gunsmoke (1957-58 through 1960-61)

 

SNF POSTS LARGE VIEWERSHIP & RATINGS ADVANTAGES OVER PRIMETIME’S #2 SHOW

Viewership

NBC Sunday Night Football averaged 16.8 million TV viewers in 2020, which topped the #2 primetime show (TNF) by 19%. SNF also beat the top scripted series (NCIS) by 75%, up from last year’s 72% advantage. 

Household Rating

SNF averaged an 9.3/20 household rating in posting a 21% advantage over primetime’s #2 show (TNF). SNF also easily topped the highest-rated scripted series (NCIS), with a 60% margin (up from a 57% edge last year).

SNF’s 10-year run at the top marks the only 10 times on record that a sports series has been the highest-rated and most-watched show of the primetime TV season.

“A Decade of Sunday N#1ghts”

To celebrate 10 years atop primetime TV, the on-air team of Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Michele Tafoya, executive producer Fred Gaudelli and director Drew Esocoff have selected 16 of the most memorable moments in SNF’s record decade-long run.

Those moments are seeded 1 (Super Bowl XLIX) through 16 (49ers-Seahawks “NFC West Championship Game,” 2019 Week 17) in a bracket on Sunday Night Football social media platforms, allowing for fans to vote on their favorite on @SNFonNBC Instagram story, while also checking out the bracket with video highlights on @SNFonNBC on Twitter and @SNFonNBC on Facebook.

—SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL—