NBC’s Sunday Night Football continues to cement its position as television’s premier primetime sports franchise, delivering record-setting audiences through the first half of the 2025 NFL season.
The network announced that SNF is averaging 24.7 million viewers across NBC and Peacock — the largest average audience through Week 8 in the 20-season history of the series. The surge comes on the heels of yet another high-profile matchup featuring Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers facing his former team, the Green Bay Packers.
Rodgers, who spent 18 seasons in Green Bay and collected a Super Bowl title and four NFL MVP awards, added intrigue to a storyline-rich game that drew massive national attention. The Packers’ 35–25 win averaged 25.5 million viewers on NBC and Peacock, according to official Nielsen Big Data + Panel metrics combined with digital data from Adobe Analytics.
The audience ranks as the fifth SNF broadcast this season to surpass 25 million viewers, marking the most such games ever through eight weeks. NBC’s record run showcases both the enduring appeal of the NFL and the continued strength of appointment viewing in live sports.
The network noted that Packers-Steelers outdrew last season’s Week 8 contest between the Cowboys and 49ers (23.9 million viewers), making it the most-watched Week 8 game in Sunday Night Football’s two-decade history. Viewership peaked at 28.2 million viewers between 9:15 and 9:30 p.m. ET during the second quarter.
In addition to strong linear ratings, Sunday Night Football continues to experience significant digital growth. NBC reported its best eight-week streaming performance ever, with an Average Minute Audience (AMA) of 2.8 million viewers across Peacock, NBC Sports Digital platforms, and NFL Digital platforms. That figure represents a 9% year-over-year increase, underscoring the growing importance of digital distribution to the broadcast’s overall success.
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