AP

The NFL’s decision to flex Sunday’s Broncos-Chiefs game into prime time was a winner, in terms of television ratings.

Last night’s NBC broadcast recorded a 16.6 overnight rating and a 27 share, up 36 percent over last week’s Ravens-Steelers game and the best November rating for an NFL prime time game since 1996.

The last November prime time game to draw as many eyeballs was the 1996 Steelers-Dolphins Monday Night Football game, which had a 18.0 rating with a 29 share.

The game also set local records for Sunday Night Football in both Denver (52.0 rating, 75 share) and Kansas City (51.5 rating, 72 share), meaning practically everyone in those cities who was awake was watching.

It was the sixth-highest rated SNF game, and only trailed Peyton Manning’s return to Indianapolis earlier this year. He’s appeared in three of the top six-rated SNF broadcasts, which should tell you why this week’s Broncos game with the Patriots was originally scheduled for prime time.