27.2 million watch 'NFL Kickoff' on NBC

Saints-Packers is second-most watched "NFL Kickoff" ever

Last night's 'NFL Kickoff' was the second-most watched NFL regular season primetime game on any one network in 15 years. The Saints-Packers NFL season opener on NBC was also the second most-watched "NFL Kickoff" ever, the second most-watched regular-season primetime game ever on NBC and the highest adult 18-49 rating for a primetime NFL regular-season game on any net in 14 years, according to official national data released today by The Nielsen Company.

The rematch of the last two Super Bowl champions, won by the Packers, 42-34, at historic Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis., was seen by 27.2 million viewers (8:41-11:49 p.m. ET), the second-most watched primetime NFL regular season game on any one network in 15 years (31.5 million for Green Bay-Dallas on Nov. 18, 1996, on ABC).

The 27.2 million for last night's game was the second-most watched "NFL Kickoff" game, behind only last year's Thursday night "NFL Kickoff" (27.5 million viewers; down 1 percent), which featured a NFC Championship Game rematch between the Minnesota Vikings, led by quarterback Brett Favre, and the then-defending Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints.

Last night's game was the second-most-watched regular-season primetime game on NBC ever, surpassing such games as last year's Cowboys-Eagles Week 14 game (25.73 million), last year's Vikings-Packers game (Favre's return to Lambeau II - 25.68 million) and the 2009 opening of the new Cowboys Stadium (24.8 million).