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49ers-Seahawks on 'Sunday Night Football' most-watched primetime game between West Coast teams in 18 years

by jmaloni

Submitted

Wed, Sep 18th 2013 11:00 am

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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