Patriots Win Ties NFL Kickoff Ratings Record

The New England Patriots’ 28-21 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers has officially kicked off the 2015 National Football League season.

American football fans celebrated by turning out in droves to watch the NBC broadcast that kicked off at 8:30 p.m. EDT on Thursday night in Foxboro, Massachusetts.

The game posted a 17.7/30 overnight rating/share per NBC Sports. That ties the record for the NFL Kickoff Game with 2010’s game and is 5% better than last year’s Kickoff game.

International ratings numbers have yet to be determined.

These days,  American markets ratings numbers are reported almost instantaneously. By the end of the weekend we should have a good idea how the NFL’s opening weekend performed internationally.

Year	Network	Teams	Overnight Rating
2015	NBC	Steelers – Patriots	17.8
2014	NBC	Packers – Seahawks	16.8
2013	NBC	Ravens – Broncos	16.2
2012	NBC*	Cowboys – Giants	16.5
2011	NBC	Saints – Packers	17.2
2010	NBC	Vikings – Saints	17.7
2009	NBC	Titans – Steelers	13.8
2008	NBC**	Redskins – Giants	10.1
2007	NBC	Saints – Colts	13.0
2006	NBC	Dolphins – Steelers	13.5
2005	ABC	Raiders – Patriots	13.1
2004	ABC	Colts – Patriots	12.6
2003	ABC	Jets – Redskins	14.5
2002	ESPN	49ers – Giants	12.7

*Game aired on a Wednesday to accommodate Democratic convention
**Game started at 7pm to accommodate Republican convention.

Top ten local markets per NBC:

• Boston 39.5/62
• Pittsburgh 34.5/51
• Providence 34.1/51
• Baltimore 24.4/39
• Richmond 23.9/36
• Norfolk 23.4/37
• Buffalo 23.2/37
• West Palm Beach 22.4/39
• Cleveland 21.7/33
• Denver 21.7/38

Overnight household rating = the live+same day DVR overnight metered-market household rating from the top 56 Nielsen television markets. The 56 markets (out of 210 total) account for about 70% of the US TV-viewing population. The  overnight household rating is  the percentage of the households that were tuned-in in those market.

Source: sportstvratings.com