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Tom Brady # 12 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers throws a pass against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the third quarter of the game at Gillette Stadium on October 03, 2021 in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
Maddie Meyer | Getty Images Sport | Getty Images
Tom Brady’s return to New England has been filled with drama from start to finish, and it has helped NBC Sports gain the most viewers for its Sunday Night Football franchise since 2012.
The network said the Patriots vs.Tampa Buccaneers contest has averaged 28.5 million viewers across all platforms, including NBC TV and the Peacock streaming service. NBC said it was the largest audience since a December 2012 Week 17 contest featuring the Dallas Cowboys and Washington football team, which drew 30.3 million viewers.
The Bucs beat the Patriots 19-17 in a game between superstar quarterback Brady and his former team and coach Bill Belichick. Brady won six Super Bowls with the Patriots (and lost three more) before adding another victory last year with the Bucs.
Sunday’s game averaged “around 27.2 million viewers” on NBC TV, according to NBC Sports, which used metrics from Nielsen and Adobe Analytics. Major markets included Providence, Rhode Island; Boston, Tampa, Hartford and Cincinnati.
The competition had a lot of theater.
Brady started off by breaking Drew Brees’ record for passing yards (80,358) to become the all-time leader in the NFL. Brady now has 80,560 yards after finishing Sunday’s game with 269 yards. Brady also led the Bucs to a field goal late in the fourth quarter with 1:57 remaining, giving the visitors a two-point advantage. Patriots rookie quarterback Mac Jones responded to lead the team on their field goal but Patriots kicker Nick Folk missed a potential winner by 56 yards.
Brady’s ability to attract huge audiences is not surprising. The quarterback has been featured in three of the five most-watched NFL games on a Sunday since 1988, first-year viewing stats are available, according to the league.
Peyton Manning # 18 of the Indianapolis Colts and Tom Brady # 12 of the New England Patriots meet on the field after the Patriots won their game 24-20 on November 4, 2007 at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Andy Lyon | Getty Images Sport | Getty Images
The most watched game of these competitions is that of Brady in November 2007 with Peyton Manning (Patriots against Indianapolis Colts). This domestic game between the two unbeaten teams drew a record 33.8 million total viewers on CBS. The 24-20 win improved the Patriots to 9-0 while dropping the Colts to 7-1.
Brady also kicked off the 2021 NFL season with 26 million total viewers across all platforms. The Bucs beat the Dallas Cowboys, 31-29, behind Brady’s push in the fourth quarter, leading to the winning field goal. The game was the most-watched NFL opening game since 2015.
Disclosure: NBC and CNBC are both owned by NBCUniversal
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