NBC's "Sunday Night Football" matchup of the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants scored the highest overnight ratings in the show's six-year history and the highest overnight ratings of any Sunday or Monday primetime game in 13 years, according to preliminary numbers.
The game, in which the Giants beat the Cowboys 31-14 to win the NFC East, scored a 17.1 overnight rating and a 27 share in metered market household ratings. It was the best such rating for any primetime Sunday or Monday game since a Denver Broncos and Miami Dolphins game had a 17.4/27 on Dec. 21, 1998 for ABC.
It was also the best overnight rating for any NFL primetime regular-season final game in 17 years. The best was the San Francisco 49ers and Minnesota Vikings game that earned a 19.6/33 on Dec. 26, 1994, also for ABC.
NBC won the night on the strength of the Cowboys-Giants game, the highest-rated program of the night. From 7-11, it averaged a 12.9/21 in metered markets, topping the 7.5/12 for CBS, which was boosted by NFL overrun. Fox had a 3.0/5 and ABC a 2.5/4.
