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NBC averaging 23-plus million after three games for fourth consecutive season
Despite a 60-minute weather delay, the San Francisco 49ers-Seattle Seahawks matchup on "Sunday Night Football" drew an average of 20.5 million viewers on NBC - marking the most-watched primetime NFL matchup between West Coast teams in nearly two decades.
The 29-3 Seahawks victory also topped by 1 million viewers (a 5 percent increase) the "SNF" matchup of the same two teams last year in week 16, which the NFL flexed into primetime as San Francisco (then 10-3-1) and Seattle (9-5) played for playoff positioning and averaged 19.5 million viewers.
The 49ers-Seahawks game - which aired from 8:31-9:05 p.m. ET and 10:05-12:13 a.m. ET due to a 60-minute lightning delay in Seattle - is the most-watched primetime NFL game between two West Coast teams since Nov. 27, 1995, when the defending-AFC champion San Diego Chargers hosted the rival Oakland Raiders and averaged 21.6 million viewers.
Additional "Sunday Night Football" ratings notes:
•"Sunday Night Football" (12.2/21 national household rating) led NBC to a decisive Sunday win in all key measures, taking the night among ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox by an 89 percent margin in adults 18-49 (6.6 vs. 3.5 for No. 2 CBS).
•Through three NFL telecasts, NBC is averaging 23.9 million viewers - the fourth consecutive year with a 23-plus million average at this point in the season.
•In competing team markets, Sunday's game posted the best-ever NBC "SNF" rating in Seattle (44.8/66), and matched the best NBC "SNF" rating in San Francisco (26.8/48), which was previously set by 49ers-Patriots on Dec. 16, 2012.
TOP METERED MARKETS FOR 49ERS-SEAHAWKS:
1. Seattle |
44.8/66 |
2. Sacramento |
31.3/50 |
3. San Francisco |
26.8/48 |
4. Portland |
22.7/38 |
5. New Orleans |
19.0/27 |
6. Las Vegas |
18.9/29 |
7. San Diego |
18.7/33 |
8. Phoenix |
18.0/30 |
9. Denver |
16.8/29 |
10. Richmond |
16.4/26 |
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