Game is Most-Watched Show on Television in 5 Months
16.2/28 HH Rating for Steelers-Patriots Up 3% From ’14 Opener
NBC Sports Live Extra Sets Streaming Record for non-Olympic/Super Bowl Event with 32 Million Minutes
STAMFORD, Conn. – September 11, 2015 – The New England Patriots’ 28-21 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers on NBC last night averaged 27.4 million viewers to rank as the second most-watched “NFL Kickoff” game in the 14-year history of the event, according to Fast national data released today by The Nielsen Company.
The most-watched, highest-rated quarter hour was 9:15-9:30 p.m. ET with 30.2 million viewers and a 17.5/30. The most-watched “NFL Kickoff” was the 2010 opener (Vikings-Saints, 27.5 million) featuring an NFC Championship Game rematch, as Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings visited the then-defending Super Bowl-champion New Orleans Saints. Viewership for Steelers-Patriots was up 1% from last year’s opening-game (27.1 million for Packers-Seahawks).
Last night’s game (8:41-11:29 p.m. ET) registered a national household rating of 16.2/28 – also ranking second best among Kickoff games behind 2010 (16.5/28). The rating was up 3% from last year’s opener (15.7/27).
The Super Bowl-champion Patriots’ seven-point victory, led by QB Tom Brady (four touchdown passes and a team-record stretch of 19 consecutive pass completions) and TE Rob Gronkowski (three TD receptions), is television’s most-watched show since the 2015 NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship (28.3 million viewers on April 6).
DIGITAL: NBC Sports Live Extra’s live stream of last night’s NFL Kickoff generated record-setting digital numbers. Fans consumed more than 32 million minutes, setting a new NBC Sports Live Extra record and making it the highest-trafficked non-Olympic, non-Super Bowl live stream in NBC Sports Digital history.
The 32 million minutes live streamed tops last year’s “NFL Kickoff” game by 31% (24.5 million minutes). NBC Sports Live Extra also posted a record-setting 530,000 unique viewers for Steelers-Patriots – topping last year’s “NFL Kickoff” game by 5%.
NFL KICKOFF VIEWERSHIP:
(All Games on Thursday Night except 2012)
| 2015 | NBC | 27.4 million | (New England 28 – Pittsburgh 21) |
| 2014 | NBC | 27.1 million | (Seattle 36 – Green Bay 16) |
| 2013 | NBC | 25.1 million | (Denver 49 – Baltimore 27) |
| 2012 | NBC | 23.9 million | (Dallas 24 – NY Giants 17)** |
| 2011 | NBC | 27.1 million | (Green Bay 42 – New Orleans 34) |
| 2010 | NBC | 27.5 million | (New Orleans 14 – Minnesota 9) |
| 2009 | NBC | 20.9 million | (Pittsburgh 13 – Tennessee 10) |
| 2008 | NBC | 13.5 million | (NY Giants 16 – Washington 7)* |
| 2007 | NBC | 17.8 million | (Indianapolis 41 – New Orleans 10) |
| 2006 | NBC | 19.2 million | (Pittsburgh 28 – Miami 17) |
| 2005 | ABC | 18.0 million | (New England 30 – Oakland 20) |
| 2004 | ABC | 16.9 million | (New England 27 – Indianapolis 24) |
| 2003 | ABC | 19.1 million | (Washington 16 – NY Jets 13) |
| 2002 | ESPN | 10.8 million | (San Francisco 16 – NY Giants 13) |
** Wednesday Night Game (First Wednesday NFL game since 1948)
* Early start due to Republican National Convention
TOP METERED MARKETS FOR STEELERS-PATRIOTS:
| 1. Boston | 39.5/62 |
| 2. Pittsburgh | 34.5/51 |
| 3. Providence | 34.1/51 |
| 4. Baltimore | 24.4/39 |
| 5. Richmond | 23.9/36 |
| 6. Norfolk | 23.4/37 |
| 7. Buffalo | 23.2/37 |
| 8. West Palm Beach | 22.4/39 |
| 9. Cleveland | 21.7/33 |
| 10. Denver | 21.7/38 |
–NBC SPORTS GROUP–
Recent Comments