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NBC's Sunday Night Sports Strategy Leads Network to #1 in Primetime on 23 of Past 25 Sunday Nights

NBC's Dominant Sunday Nights Have Featured 'Sunday Night Football', NFL Playoffs, Super Bowl LX, Milan Cortina Olympics, NBA All-Star Game & 'Sunday Night Basketball'

NBC Sports

February 26, 2026

NBC, after recently announcing additional high profile Sunday primetime sports programming, has been dominating Sunday nights for the past six months. From Sept. 7, 2025, through this past Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026, NBC Sports programming has powered the NBC broadcast network to finish No. 1 in primetime among all networks on 23 of 25 Sundays, according to official Nielsen Big Data + Panel.

This Sunday Night Features 76ers-Celtics at 8 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock, Called by Mike Tirico - Who Works His 25th NBC Sunday Night since Sept. 7

The Philadelphia 76ers visit the Boston Celtics in one of the NBA’s storied rivalries this weekend on Sunday Night Basketball (8 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock), as NBC Sports continues its new year-round primetime sports programming on the same night each week – a broadcast network first.

Since Sept. 7, NBC Broadcast Network Has More Than Doubled Combined Sunday Night Viewership of Other Broadcast Networks

NBC Sports’ Mike Tirico (play-by-play) – working his 25th Sunday night event on NBC since Sept. 7 – calls the game alongside Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer Reggie Miller (analyst), three-time NBA Sixth Man of the Year Jamal Crawford, and Zora Stephenson (courtside reporter).

“We’re excited to build upon our historically dominant Sunday night partnership with the NFL, as well as three blockbuster Sundays of the Milan Cortina Olympics, the NBA All-Star Game, Sunday Night Basketball and coming soon, the April 12 NBC debut of Sunday Night Baseball. NBC and Peacock are now the year-round platforms for premier Sunday night sports programming.”

— Rick Cordella, President, NBC Sports

NBC Sports’ Sunday Nights on NBC vs. Broadcast Competition

  • Over the past six months, NBC has dominated primetime Sundays, more than doubling the competition’s combined (P2+) viewership with an even larger advantage in the Adult 18-49 demographic.
 NBCABC + CBS + FOXNBC Advantage
Avg. Viewers (P2+)21.6 million10.4 million109%
Adults 18-497.3 million2.2 million231%

Source: Nielsen Big Data + Panel (8-11 p.m.); 9/7/25-2/22/26

NOTE: When including streaming on Peacock and NBC Sports Digital for NBC’s Sunday Night Football, NFL Playoffs, Milan Cortina Olympics and NBA on NBC telecasts, NBC Sports’ primetime Sunday viewership averages 23.5 million viewers.

NBC Sports’ Sunday Nights on NBC vs. Broadcast Competition, Excluding Super Bowl LX

  • Even excluding the Super Bowl – annually America’s most watched program by a large margin – NBC maintains a major advantage.
 NBCABC + CBS + FOXNBC Advantage
Avg. Viewers (P2+)18.1 million10.6 million69%
Adults 18-495.7 million2.3 million152%

Source: Nielsen Big Data + Panel (8-11 p.m.); 9/7/25-2/22/26, excluding 2/8/26

NOTE (excluding Super Bowl): When including streaming on Peacock and NBC Sports Digital for NBC’s Sunday Night Football, NFL Playoffs, Milan Cortina Olympics and NBA on NBC telecasts, NBC Sports’ primetime Sunday viewership averages 20.0 million viewers.

Among NBC Sports’ Sunday night highlights on the NBC Broadcast Network since Sept. 7, 2025:

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