The Bears weren’t the only ones to suffer a loss Sunday night.
The Bears-Packers game was the highest-rated prime-time program in the overnight Nielsen ratings since adult-film actress Stormy Daniels’ appearance on “60 Minutes” in March, and it marked a 7 percent improvement on NBC’s broadcast of the Falcons-Eagles NFL opener Thursday.
It also was the Bears’ highest-rated regular-season game in the Chicago market since 2013.
But the overnight rating culled from the nation’s top TV markets (not including Pittsburgh, which has been delayed) was down 9 percent from last season’s Cowboys-Giants “Sunday Night Football” opener, and it was 3 percent off the 2016 Patriots-Cardinals curtain-raiser.
Bears-Packers averaged a 14.4 overnight household rating and 25 percent share of the viewing audience in the top markets despite its lopsided first half.
NBC’s total viewership, including live-streaming, will be available later.
While NBC suffered a dip, CBS and Fox NFL game coverage enjoyed an improved opening Sunday from last season.
CBS had its best opening NFL single-header overnight rating in three years, averaging a 10.6 household rating and 22 percent audience share in the metered markets, a 23 percent increase from a year ago.
Fox averaged an 8.8 rating on its regional broadcasts, up 5 percent from 2017. Its national game, which was Panthers-Cowboys in most markets, averaged 15.7, a 1 percent improvement.
The Bears-Packers overnight ratings peaked nationally in the 10:15-10:30 quarter-hour at 15.4 and a 30 percent share as the Packers completed their comeback to win.
Locally, the ratings — like the Bears — peaked earlier, around 9:45 p.m. The telecast averaged a 35.3 household rating (representing about 1.16 million Chicago-area homes with TVs) and 55 percent of all the homes in the market watching something Sunday night.
The Milwaukee market was more focused. The game averaged a 49.6 household rating and 71 percent share.
Top-rated Bears regular-season telecasts in the Chicago market (2010-present)
1. 40.7 vs. Vikings (ESPN/ABC-7), Dec. 20, 2010
2 (tie). 39.8 vs. Packers (FOX-32), Dec. 29, 2013
2 (tie) 39.8 vs. Eagles (FOX-32), Nov. 28, 2010
4. 39.3 at Giants (NBC-5), Oct. 3, 2010
5. 38.3 vs. Packers (ESPN/WCIU-26), Sept. 27, 2010
6. 38.2 vs. Patriots (CBS-2), Dec. 12, 2010
7. 38.0 vs. Texans (NBC-5), Nov. 11, 2012
8. 37.8 at Packers (FOX-32), Jan. 2, 2011
9. 37.7 vs. Cowboys (ESPN/ABC-7), Dec. 9, 2013
10. 36.3 vs. Lions (Fox-32), Nov. 13, 2011
11. 35.3 at Packers (NBC-5), Sept. 9, 2018
Twitter @phil_rosenthal
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