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Broncos-Colts on NBC's 'Sunday Night Football' posts top primetime overnight for October game in 15 years

by jmaloni

Submitted

Mon, Oct 21st 2013 04:40 pm

Last night's Denver-Indianapolis NBC "Sunday Night Football" game featuring Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning's return to Indianapolis, posted a 17.3 overnight rating and 29 share (8:30 p.m.-12:15 a.m. ET) - marking the best primetime overnight for an October game in 15 years and a 48 percent increase over last season's week seven "SNF" game (11.7 for Pittsburgh-Cincinnati).

The previous best October primetime NFL overnight was a 17.5 for Minnesota-Green Bay on ABC on Oct. 5, 1998, as Randall Cunningham passed for 442 yards and four touchdowns in a 37-24 Vikings victory over Brett Favre and the Packers. 

The 17.3 for the Colts' down-to-the-wire 39-33 "Sunday Night Football" victory is the fourth-highest overnight in the eight-year history of NBC's primetime package (including "NFL Kickoff" games).

Following are NBC's highest overnight ratings for a regular-season game since the debut of "Sunday Night Football" in 2006:

Game, Date

Overnight

Highlights

Dallas-Wash., 12/30/12

18.3

Rookie Robert Griffin III leads Redskins to NFC East title with 28-18 victory in "win-and-in" Week 17 matchup. Game posted highest regular-season primetime overnight on any network in 15 years.

Pittsburgh-Denver, 9/9/12

18.0

Peyton Manning debuts with a new team (Denver) after missing '11 season with neck injury, and throws his 400th career TD pass in Broncos' come-from-behind 31-19 victory.

Minn.-New Orleans, 9/9/10

17.7

Drew Brees leads defending-champion Saints over Brett Favre and Vikings 14-9 in NFC Championship Game rematch in Thursday "NFL Kickoff" opener.

Denver-Indy, 10/20/13

17.3

QB Andrew Luck accounts for 4 TDs to lead Colts to a 39-33 win over Broncos in Peyton Manning's return to Indianapolis.

N.O.-Green Bay, 9/8/11

17.2

Aaron Rodgers passes for 312 yards and three scores to lead defending-champion Packers to 42-34 win over Drew Brees (419 yards and 3 TDs) and Saints in Thursday "NFL Kickoff" opener.

NBC's Sunday primetime average (13.5/22 from 7-11 p.m. in metered-market households) is the highest for any broadcast network on a Sunday night since the Academy Awards on Feb. 24 (22.2/34 on ABC) and topped second-place CBS by 50 percent (9.0/14).

In the Adults 18-49 demographic, "Sunday Night Football" easily won the night posting a 10.0 rating - 64 percent better than the second-ranked show in the demo (6.1 for AMC's "The Walking Dead").

Last night's broadcast peaked at a 19.0/29 from 9:30-10 p.m.

Top 10 Metered Markets:

1. Denver, 49.6/71 - NBC 'SNF' local-market record

2. Indianapolis, 49.1/71 - NBC 'SNF' local-market record

3. Kansas City, 26.7/42

4. New Orleans, 26.1/36

5. Albuquerque, 25.1/37

6. Las Vegas, 23.7/37

7. Sacramemnto, 22.2/35

T8. San Diego, 22.0/37

T8. Richmond, 22.0/33

10. Nashville, 21.8/31

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