The NFL has long dominated TV viewership rankings, but there are still surprises to be found in each new ratings cycle.
Such is the case this week, following the release of the primetime Nielsen ratings for the 2023-24 season (Sept. 25, 2023 to May 23, 2024). Sunday Night Football came out on top of the ratings with 19.8 million viewers, well ahead of the second-place show … the Sunday Night Football pregame show (11.98 million viewers). Amazon Prime’s Thursday Night Football ranked third, with 11.97 million viewers.
ESPN’s Monday Night Football ranked No. 14, with 7.9 million viewers.
To put those numbers in perspective, the top network series, CBS’ Tracker, drew 10.8 million viewers. It’s worth noting that show benefited tremendously from premiering in February right after Super Bowl LVIII.
All this is not a surprise. SNF has topped the primetime ratings for 13 straight years now. The 19.8 million figure is a slight dip from last season’s 19.9, but still robust.
A deep dive reveals even more impressive demos. Hollywood Reporter noted, “The No. 1 show in literally every demographic in 2023-24, from kids to people over 50 and among men and women of all ages, was NBC’s Sunday Night Football.)
That’s remarkable in an era when the average TV viewer’s age is skewing older, and audiences have become more segmented than ever in terms of viewing habits.
The SNF crew is already itching to get started on another season, with this X post on Tuesday.
100 days from TONIGHT on @nbc and @peacock. 🙌 pic.twitter.com/eeIa6l8rA0
— Sunday Night Football on NBC (@SNFonNBC) May 29, 2024
[Variety.com; HollywoodReporter.com]
About Arthur Weinstein
Arthur spends his free time traveling around the U.S. to sporting events, state and national parks, and in search of great restaurants off the beaten path.