GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN - JANUARY 08: Allen Lazard #13 of the Green Bay Packers catches a touchdown pass during the third quarter against the Detroit Lions at Lambeau Field on January 08, 2023 in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images
The Detroit Lions aren’t the only ones celebrating after Sunday night’s 20-16 win against the Green Bay Packers.
The matchup, which began at 8:20 p.m. ET, averaged 23.4M viewers for NBC, making it the most-watched Sunday Night Football season finale in six years. It marked the last regular-season game of the 2022 season.
It was certainly a win for NBC, which had been seeing some declines in Sunday Night Football ratings recently. Week 17’s Ravens-Steelers game averaged about 17.18M total viewers, which was down 7% in viewership from the year prior. It also marked the fourth straight game that NBC had posted ratings declines. In previous weeks, primetime viewership had slipped to around 15M per game.
Despite a dip in ratings, any night of NFL matchups is going to be a win for the broadcast networks, which aren’t generally pulling double-digit audiences during primetime (or at all) unless its for live sports. And NBC’s Sunday Night Football still consistently ranks as one of the top programs each week, though it’s highly dependent on which games are being played.
The week’s biggest story has revolved around Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin’s recovery after he suffered a cardiac arrest on the field last Monday night during the Bills-Bengals game. That matchup aired on ABC and ESPN during primetime, and it was certainly dominating viewership. From the start of the game through the decision to suspend play, the game averaged an audience of 24.9M.
On Sunday, the Bills played the Patriots on CBS prior to the Lions-Packers matchup. Deadline doesn’t have the viewership tally for that game, though it’s likely fair to say it drew a significant audience since players and fans from across the NFL have had all eyes on Hamlin and the Bills.
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