"SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL" PACKERS-PATRIOTS EARNS 15.2 OVERNIGHT; NO. 1 SHOW ON SUNDAY NIGHT FOR 15TH STRAIGHT WEEK

Tops Last Year's Week 14 Game by 27%

Milwaukee (44.5), Boston (42.6) & Providence (32.2) Lead All Metered Markets

SNF Powers NBC to Another Sunday Night Win

NEW YORK - December 20, 2010 - Last night's "Sunday Night Football" game was the top-rated show on Sunday night for 15th straight week, led NBC to another Sunday night win and was up 27 percent over last year's Week 15 game, according to overnight data released today by the Nielsen Company. The game, in which Tom Brady and the Patriots beat the Packers, who were without Pro Bowl quarterback Aaron Rodgers, 31-27, registered a 15.2 overnight rating and a 24 share.

The 15.2/24 overnight rating is an increase of 27 percent over last year's Week 15 game (Vikings-Panthers, 12.0/19).

The rating peaked at a 16.4/28 from 11-11:30 p.m. ET as the Packers were driving down the field with a chance to win the game.

The 15.2 overnight ties for the fifth-highest overnight for a "Sunday Night Football" game this season.

DEFEATED ALL SUNDAY NIGHT COMPETITION: Last night's "Sunday Night Football" broadcast defeated all Sunday Night competition for the 15th time in 15 weeks, on a night that included such competition as CBS's 60 Minutes, and the finale of Survivor, and "The Santa Clause 2" and "The Santa Clause 3" on ABC.

"Sunday Night Football" powered NBC to a Sunday night win in primetime (7-11 p.m.) topping second place CBS (which was aided by an NFL overrun) by 17 percent. NBC also beat ABC by 211 percent and Fox by 283 percent.

SNF IS 15 FOR 15: When the viewership is available tomorrow from Nielsen, "Sunday Night Football" is expected to be the most-watched Sunday night show for the 15th consecutive week (every week this season). Last season, SNF was the most-watched Sunday night primetime broadcast in a record 15 of 16 (94 percent) weeks. In 2008, SNF won 13 of 16 (81 percent) Sunday nights after winning 11 of 16 in 2007 (69 percent) and nine of 16 in 2006 (56 percent).

TOP METERED MARKETS FOR PACKERS-PATRIOTS:

Milwaukee, 44.5/60
Boston, 42.6/62
Providence, 32.2/46
Minneapolis, 21.8/33
Baltimore, 19.6/29
Chicago, 19.0/30
New Orleans, 18.4/26
Norfolk, 18.2/27
Ft. Myers, 18.3/28
Richmond, 18.0/27

About NBC Sports

NBC Sports is synonymous with superior production that elevates the event, broad promotion, and mutually-beneficial partnerships. Known as America's Olympic Network, NBC has broadcast 12 Olympic Games, more than any other network. Its ability to amass large audiences with broad promotion, particularly for the Olympics, has resulted in NBC Sports broadcasting nine of the top 10 most-watched events in U.S. television history, including the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games which stands at No. 1 all time with 215 million viewers. In 2009, NBC Sports won the prestigious Peabody Award for its production of the Beijing Games and was named 'Best in Sports Television' at the Sports Business Awards.

NBC Sports partners with numerous leagues and governing bodies to broadcast some of the most prestigious properties in sports, including: 'NBC Sunday Night Football,' which is the premier primetime NFL game of the week; 'Football Night in America,' which is the most-watched NFL studio program; Notre Dame football; the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes; the U.S. Open Championship, THE PLAYERS Championship, and the Ryder Cup; the NHL Winter Classic, NHL 'Game of the Week,' and NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs and Final; and Wimbledon and the French Open.