Primetime Ratings: ‘Sunday Night Football’ Down Against Debate
UPDATED: NBC scored a decisive win Sunday night among broadcasters, with Sunday Night Football leading the network to a 4.8 rating in adults 18-49, per Nielsen’s overnights, and a 14 share. The competition aired the second Trump-Clinton debate from Missouri from 9-10:30 p.m. ET, followed by analysis.
CBS rated a 3.6/11 on the night, ABC a 2.0/6 and Fox a 1.6/5.
The debate also aired on the cable news networks and PBS. Around 64 million watched the debate, 20 million fewer than watched the first debate Sept. 26.
On NBC, a pregame show did a 3.1, same as last week, and the game itself, Green Bay Packers versus New York Giants, a 5.2. (That rating was later updated to 5.9.) That was down from last week’s game, pitting the Kansas City Chiefs versus Pittsburgh Steelers, which did a 6.1. The Oct. 2 game was not up against a debate.
Aided by an NFL overrun, 60 Minutes rated a 3.1 on CBS in the 7:30-9 p.m. slot.
CBS’ debate coverage did a 3.8, ahead of ABC’s 2.9 and Fox’s 1.9.
CBS scored a 2.8 with its post-debate analysis and ABC a 2.1.
Broadcasting & Cable Newsletter
The smarter way to stay on top of broadcasting and cable industry. Sign up below
Michael Malone, senior content producer at B+C/Multichannel News, covers network programming, including entertainment, news and sports on broadcast, cable and streaming; and local broadcast television. He hosts the podcasts Busted Pilot, about what’s new in television, and Series Business, a chat with the creator of a new program, and writes the column “The Watchman.” He joined B+C in 2005. His journalism has also appeared in The New York Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Playboy and New York magazine.