So Much For ESPN Winning The Week, SNF Pulls 22+ Million Viewers

Tuesday, September 23, 2008


It really would have been an amazing feat for ESPN to beat out any of the broadcast contenders this past week (as I mentioned last Tuesday), and if it wasn't for the second most watched Sunday Football game ever, they would have. NBC pulled over 22 million viewers for the Cowboys and Packers beating out EPSN's Monday Night Football from last week, Eagles and Cowboys, by a little under four million viewers. Via NBC....

NEW YORK – September 23, 2008 - The Dallas Cowboys 27-16 victory over the Green Bay Packers on "NBC Sunday Night Football," drew 22.2 million viewers and stands as the second most watched Sunday Night game in NBC's two-plus year history of SNF, trailing only the much-hyped "Manning Bowl" on the first Sunday of the 2006 season (22.6 million), according to data provided by Nielsen Media Research.

Sunday night's 22.2 million viewers represents a 17 percent gain over the comparable week in 2007 (Cowboys-Bears, 19.0 million on 9/23/07) and posted a household rating of 13.3 and a 21 share, a gain of 13 percent over the Cowboys-Bears game (11.8/19).

"Sunday Night Football" easily won the night defeating the Primetime Emmy Awards broadcast on ABC by 80 percent in viewers (22.2 million to 12.3 million) and 62 percent among households (13.3/21 vs. 8.2/13). SNF ranks No. 1 among primetime programs for the week of September 15-21 among households, average viewers and other key ratings categories, marking the third consecutive week SNF has ranked No. 1.
ESPN ultimately ran into a buzz saw in that Packers-Cowboys game, but they still managed to land second place beating out 60 minutes and the premier of House. Here's how the top ten played out for the week (viewers in millions)....

[Monday Night Football - Eagles vs. Cowboys (ESPN): 11.3/18.6]

Broadcast TV:

1. Sunday Night Football - Cowboys vs. Packers (NBC): 13.3 rating/22.3 viewers
2. 60 Minutes (CBS): 9.2/14.6
3. House (FOX): 8.9/14.8
4. SNF Pre-Kick (NBC): 8.5/14.0
5. Primetime Emmys (ABC): 8.2/12.3
6. Fringe (FOX): 8.1/13.2
7. America's Got Talent (NBC): 7.5/12.2
8. CSI (CBS): 6.9/10.1
9. FNIA Part Three (NBC): 6.7/10.9
10. Flashpoint (CBS): 6.6/9.7
10. Two and a Half Men (CBS): 6.6/9.9

Eagles-Cowboys MNF Game Was The Most Watched Program In Cable Television History (Awful Announcing)

7 Comments:

There's no way that that game beat Hole In The Wall.

GMoney said...
Sep 23, 2008, 5:40:00 PM  

I'm kinda surprised Heroes didn't make the top 10 as it had like 3 hour premier extravaganza and all. Although the House premier was definitely better...

Edward Greene said...
Sep 23, 2008, 5:49:00 PM  

More impressively, Cowboys-Packers outdrew the Emmy Awards on ABC AND the overhyped "Farewell to Yankee Stadium" on ESPN. (In the New York area baseball beat football but lost to the Emmys.)

Anonymous said...
Sep 23, 2008, 6:04:00 PM  

Just think of what ratings the game would have gotten had it actually would have been a close game.

Anonymous said...
Sep 23, 2008, 7:07:00 PM  

I blame Kornheiser

Anonymous said...
Sep 23, 2008, 8:12:00 PM  

AA, any way you can find video of this from tonight's NESN broadcast?

http://www.baseballmusings.com/archives/029178.php

/threadjack

Anonymous said...
Sep 23, 2008, 9:20:00 PM  

The people who watch "America's Got Talent" are also the same people who think Pizza Hut's Premium Bacon Mac & Cheese is "so decadent."

Anonymous said...
Sep 24, 2008, 12:26:00 AM  

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