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Football Rules Sunday Night Ratings

Sep 11, 2006  •  Post A Comment

Football ruled the ratings the night before the five-year anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.

NBC’s new “Sunday Night Football,” featuring the hyped matchup of quarterback Peyton Manning against little brother Eli Manning, drew a much bigger audience than part one of ABC’s controversial miniseries “The Path to 9/11.” The game also beat CBS’s “9/11” movie.

“Sunday Night Football” drew a 12.7 household rating and a 20 share, according to Nielsen Media Research. Among adults 18 to 49, it rang up a 7.9 rating and a 19 share. NBC’s pregame show drew a 5.2 household rating and a 9 share. Among adults, the game drew a 2.8 rating and an 8 share. Combined, NBC handily won the evening by both measures.

“The Path to 9/11” registered a 7.9 rating/12 share among households and a 4.0/10 in the 18 to 49 demographic. CBS’s “9/11” had a 6.9/10 in households and a 3.5/8 in the demo. Its lead-in, “60 Minutes,” drew a 5.7/10 in households and a 2.1/6 among 18- to 49-year-old viewers.

Fox finished second in the night in the 18 to 49 demographic (and third behind ABC among households) with a runover of its football coverage and the season premieres of its comedies, including “The Simpsons” and “Family Guy.” Ratings for both of those shows were up slightly from a year ago. The season premieres of “American Dad” and “The War at Home” was down slightly from a year ago.