NBC SPORTS KICKS OFF 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL WITH MOST-WATCHED AND HIGHEST RATED SEASON OPENING BROADCAST IN NINE YEARS

Game Averages 4.1 Million Viewers - Ranks as Most-Watched Opener Since 2006 & Up 95% From Last Year

2.8 Million Live Minutes Streamed Via NBC Sports Live Extra

STAMFORD, Conn. - September 8, 2015 - NBC Sports' broadcast of the No. 11 Notre Dame Fighting Irish's 38-3 victory over the Texas Longhorns in Saturday night's season opening game on NBC averaged 4.1 million viewers and drew a 2.42 HH rating, ranking as the most-watched and highest-rated season opening Notre Dame Football game on NBC in nine years, since NBC's broadcast of Penn State - Notre Dame in 2006 (6.9 million avg. viewers / 4.72 HH rtg.), according to fast national ratings released today by The Nielsen Company.

Despite Notre Dame's 35-point victory, NBC's presentation of Texas-Notre Dame topped last year's season opener viewership by 95% (Rice-Notre Dame / 2.1 million avg. viewers). The rating for the broadcast was up 79% vs. last year (1.35 HH rtg.), and up 5% vs. NBC's 2014 Notre Dame Football primetime average. Viewership of the game peaked with nearly 5.4 million average viewers and a 3.17 HH rating.

NBC Sports Live Extra's digital coverage of Texas-Notre Dame also posted record traffic. In total, 2.8 million live minutes were streamed across all platforms, the most ever for an authenticated Notre Dame Football game on NBC Sports Live Extra. The presentation recorded 56,000 unique viewers.

Ratings information on the Top 10 local markets is listed below.

RANK MARKET RATING
1 Austin 15.70
2 San Antonio 6.48
3 Indianapolis 6.15
4 Oklahoma City 6.11
5 Dallas Ft. Worth 5.22
6 Ft. Meyers 5.20
7 Tulsa 4.88
8 Houston 4.68
9 Dayton 4.60
10 Las Vegas 4.42

NBC's second Notre Dame Football home game will air on Saturday, Sept. 19 at 3:30 p.m. ET and features the Fighting Irish against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. NBC Sports Group's 2015 Notre Dame Football coverage also includes primetime match-ups vs. storied rival USC on Saturday, October 17, at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC from South Bend, Ind., and vs. Boston College on Saturday, November 21, at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN, as part of the Shamrock Series at Fenway Park in Boston, Mass.

Listed below is a complete schedule of NBC Sports Group's remaining coverage of the 2015 Notre Dame Football season.

REMAINING 2015 NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL GAMES ON NBC/NBCSN

DATE TIME OPPONENT LOCATION NETWORK
Sat., Sept. 19 3:30 p.m. Georgia Tech South Bend, Ind. NBC
Sat., Sept 26 3:30 p.m. UMass South Bend, Ind. NBC
Sat., Oct. 10 3:30 p.m. Navy South Bend, Ind. NBC
Sat., Oct. 17 7:30 p.m. USC South Bend, Ind. NBC
Sat., Nov. 14 3:30 p.m. Wake Forest South Bend, Ind. NBC
Sat., Nov. 21 7:30 p.m. Boston College Boston, Mass. NBCSN*

*Shamrock Series game from Fenway Park (All Times ET)