RATINGS RAT RACE: ‘Sunday Night Football’ Big, AMAs Stage Major Comeback

Tom Brady’s heroics last night delivered big ratings for NBC’s Sunday Night Football in what already had been billed as a marquee “Manning-Brady XIV” matchup. The 14th face-off between the NFL superstars — which featured an epic comeback for the Brady-led Patriots over Peyton Manning’s Broncos from a 24-0 halftime deficit to a thrilling overtime win — drew a 17.0 overnight household rating from 8:30 PM-12:30 AM. That was the highest primetime overnight for a November game in 17 years, the second-highest-rated SNF game this season behind the 17.3 for Manning’s return to Indianapolis on October 20, and the fifth-highest-rated game overall in SNF’s eight-year history.

Even with that level of competition that bled deep into West Coast’s primetime, ABC’s American Music Awards (4.5 in adults 18-49) posted big gains vs. last fall when it faced a football game that only averaged a 12.2 in the overnights. Boosted by wide promotion and buzzy music acts like Miley Cyrus, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga and One Direction, the AMAs soared 32% above last season’s all-time low to a four-year high — since 2009. In total viewers, the awards show averaged 12.9 million, up 30% from last year and its second-largest audience in 11 years. In teens, the AMAs surged 86% year to year to hit a 9-year high.

On CBS, The Mentalist wrapped (or so it seems) its main Red John storyline with a season high audience of 10.6 million and a 1.5 in 18-49, up a tenth from last week and matching a season high. The rest of CBS’ Sunday lineup was down week to week. 60 Minutes (1.6, off by 6%), The Amazing Race (1.5, -25%) and The Good Wife (1.3, -7%) (CBS’ primetime was delayed by 10-17 minutes by football in several markets)

Buoyed by an NFL overrun, Fox’s The Simpsons (2.9) was up 61%. Bob’s Burgers (1.9) was up 27%, while Family Guy (2.2) was even with last week. The animated veteran killed off (at least for now) a lead character (you can watch the tribute video below). American Dad (1.8) was up 13%.