Record-Setting Season as “Sunday Night Football” on NBC and Peacock Averages 23.5 Million Viewers & Paces as Primetime’s #1 Show for Unprecedented 15th Consecutive Year
NBC Sports – The Home of Super Bowl LX on Feb. 8 – Delivers Record 8 SNF Games of 25+ Million Viewers
January 07, 2026
NBC Sports capped its milestone 20th season of Sunday Night Football this past weekend with a thrilling Week 18 Ravens-Steelers “AFC North Championship Game” as primetime’s #1 show continued its unprecedented run pacing for a 15th consecutive year atop the charts.
Sunday night’s game – which came down to the final play – put an exclamation point on a record-setting season for NBC’s SNF, highlighted by:
- A record average of 23.5 million viewers for SNF across NBC and Peacock
- A record 8 SNF games averaging more than 25 million viewers
- Led by Peacock, a record streaming Average Minute Audience (AMA) of 2.5 million viewers.
Based on official Nielsen Big Data + Panel, NBC’s SNF easily topped all primetime television series in the fall and once again is pacing to finish as primetime’s #1 TV show in all key metrics for an unprecedented 15th consecutive year. NBC’s SNF, in the most competitive time slot in media, extended its record for the most consecutive years atop the primetime charts (since 1950):
Most Consecutive Years, #1 Ranked Show in Primetime, Since 1950
15 years in a row – Sunday Night Football (2011-12 through 2025-26; on pace)
6 years in a row – American Idol (2005-06 through 2010-11)
5 years in a row – The Cosby Show (1985-86 through 1989-90)…tied Cheers in ‘89-90
5 years in a row – All in the Family (1971-72 through 1975-76)
4 years in a row – Gunsmoke (1957-58 through 1960-61)
Sunday Night Football averaged a Total Audience Delivery (TAD) of 23.5 million viewers for the 2025 season, the show’s best viewership ever – up nearly 1 million viewers from the prior record for the series set a decade ago (22.6 million in 2015 season) and an increase of 9% over last season (21.6 million), based on official Nielsen Big Data + Panel and digital data from Adobe Analytics.
The 20th season of NBC’s Sunday Night Football culminates with the biggest day in U.S. media – with the presentation of Super Bowl LX on Feb. 8 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. bookended by the Milan Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games, live and in primetime. NBC broadcasts its 21st Super Bowl, with live streaming coverage on Peacock and the Spanish-language telecast on Telemundo.
Sunday Night Football Delivers Record 8 Games With 25+ Million Viewers
Sunday night’s Ravens-Steelers thriller averaged 25.5 million viewers, peaking at 27.5 million in the second quarter (9:15-9:30 p.m. ET), before climbing back up to an average of 26.1 million viewers for the game’s closing minutes (11:30-11:35 p.m. ET).
Baltimore-Pittsburgh marked the record eighth game in this season’s NBC SNF package to average at least 25 million viewers – up 33% from the prior record set in 2023 and 2013 (six).
Most Watched Games, 2025 Season, NBC Sunday Night Football package
| Game, Date | Avg. Viewers* |
| Dallas Cowboys-Philadelphia Eagles, 9/4/25** | 28.3 million |
| Cincinnati Bengals-Baltimore Ravens, 11/27/25 | 27.9 million |
| Detroit Lions-Kansas City Chiefs, 10/12/25 | 27.4 million |
| Chicago Bears-San Francisco 49ers, 12/28/25 | 27.1 million |
| Green Bay Packers-Dallas Cowboys, 9/28/25 | 26.9 million |
| Green Bay Packers-Pittsburgh Steelers, 10/26/25 | 25.5 million |
| Baltimore Ravens-Pittsburgh Steelers, 1/4/26 | 25.5 million |
| Kansas City Chiefs-New York Giants, 9/21/25 | 25.3 million |
*Viewership across NBC, Peacock, NBC Sports Digital, NFL Digital
** Impacted by 65-minute weather delay
Led by Peacock, Record-Setting SNF Streaming Hits 2.5 Million Average Minute Audience (AMA)
Led by Peacock, NBC Sports Digital hit another viewership milestone for Sunday Night Football in 2025, delivering a full-season Average Minute Audience of 2.5 million viewers for the first time across Peacock, NBCSports.com, the NBC Sports app, and NFL Digital properties – up 17% from the prior record (2.2 million) set last season.
Across NBC Broadcast Affiliates Nationally, Sunday Night Football Tops All Key Metrics
On NBC broadcast stations, Sunday Night Football topped all primetime shows in average viewership and household rating, and for the 17th consecutive season ranked #1 among adults 18-49.
Key SNF Full Season Metrics (official Nielsen Big Data + Panel on NBC Broadcast only)
| Category | 2025 | Primetime Rank |
| Average Viewers | 21.0 million | #1 |
| HH Rating | 10.3 | #1 |
| Adult 18-49 Viewers | 6.85 million | #1 |
Source: Official Nielsen Big Data + Panel, 9/4/25-1/4/26
NBC Delivers More Adult 18-49 Viewers Than Any NFL Media Partner
Based upon official Nielsen Big Data + Panel, Sunday Night Football delivered an average of 6.85 million viewers in the Adult 18-49 demographic over the course of the season – more than any NFL media partner.
Football Night in America Is Most-Watched Studio Show for 20th Consecutive Year, With Its Best Season Ever
NBC’s Football Night in America studio show averaged 8.8 million viewers from 7:30-8:15 p.m. ET this season – the largest FNIA season audience ever and up 14% from last season (7.7 million). FNIA continues its reign as sports’ most-watched weekly studio show for the 20th consecutive year (since the show’s 2006 debut season).
In addition, the 8-8:23 p.m. ET portion of Football Night in America (including pre-kick coverage), averaged 14.0 million viewers, which would rank No. 3 among regularly-scheduled primetime shows.
SNF Average (P2+) Viewership Rank Among Primetime Shows:
| Fall TV Season | Full TV Season | |
| 2025 | No. 1 Show | 1st (through 1/4/26) |
| 2024 | No. 1 Show | 1st |
| 2023 | No. 1 Show | 1st |
| 2022 | No. 1 Show | 1st |
| 2021 | No. 1 Show | 1st |
| 2020 | No. 1 Show | 1st |
| 2019 | No. 1 Show | 1st |
| 2018 | No. 1 Show | 1st |
| 2017 | No. 1 Show | 1st |
| 2016 | No. 1 Show | 1st |
| 2015 | No. 1 Show | 1st |
| 2014 | No. 1 Show | 1st |
| 2013 | No. 1 Show | 1st |
| 2012 | No. 1 Show | 1st |
| 2011 | No. 1 Show | 1st |
| 2010 | No. 1 Show | 3rd |
| 2009 | No. 2 Show | 4th |
| 2008 | No. 5 Show | 8th |
| 2007 | No. 7 Show | 8th |
| 2006 | No. 7 Show | 9th |
Source: Official Nielsen Big Data + Panel
Sunday Night Football Top 20 Metered Markets – 2025 Season:*
Buffalo ranked as the top-rated SNF market for the second time in three years (#1 in 2023, and #2 last year), while Kansas City finished second this year after ranking first in 2024. New Orleans topped the chart for five consecutive years (2018-2022) as well as in 2010, 2011 and 2013. Milwaukee was the top-rated SNF market in 2017 and 2012, while Denver ranked #1 for three consecutive seasons from 2014-16.
| 1. Buffalo | 18.0/41 |
| 2. Kansas City | 17.5/45 |
| 3. Pittsburgh | 15.0/38 |
| 4. Milwaukee | 14.7/37 |
| 5. Minneapolis | 14.3/38 |
| 6. Baltimore | 13.9/41 |
| 7. New Orleans | 13.5/36 |
| 8. Richmond | 13.2/36 |
| 9. Detroit | 12.9/35 |
| 10. Philadelphia | 12.7/38 |
| 11. Dayton | 12.6/35 |
| 12. Denver | 12.4/42 |
| 13. Dallas | 12.2.39 |
| 14. Norfolk | 12.0/38 |
| 15. Cincinnati | 11.8/34 |
| 16. Albuquerque | 11.7/34 |
| 17. Sacramento | 11.6/38 |
| T18. Providence | 10.9/34 |
| T18. Las Vegas | 10.9/37 |
| T18. St. Louis | 10.9/29 |
*Through Week 17. Final metrics through Week 18 will be available later this week.
Wild Card Weekend
NBC Sports presents an AFC Wild Card Game this Sunday, Jan. 11, at 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC, Peacock, Telemundo and Universo, as Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers visit Drake Maye and the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Mass. Coverage begins with a special edition of Football Night in America at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock.
