Leading Man

Favre Beating Old Team Helps ESPN To Record

While it may seem like the country is tired of the Brett Favre saga, the man certainly draws the public’s fascination, and ESPN will set a new benchmark for cable television on the strength of No. 4’s right arm. The net earns a 14.2 metered-market rating for the Vikings’ 30-23 win over the Packers, likely making it the highest-rated program in cable history when all the numbers have been crunched. The game is the latest example of the importance the NFL can have for a network. NBC is averaging 20.8 million viewers for “SNF” so far this season, giving the Peacock a rare positive outlook during the fall television season. It also is providing NBC its greatest opportunity to promote the rest of its primetime lineup. The net has been languishing in fourth place for several seasons, and the N.Y. TIMES’ Richard Sandomir writes one can “only wonder how much worse off NBC would be without” the presence of the NFL.