The NFL’s opening week witnessed unprecedented viewership, averaging 22.3 million viewers per game across television and digital platforms. This marks the second consecutive year of record-breaking Week 1 ratings.
The average viewership represents a 5% increase compared to the previous season’s Week 1 average of 21 million, according to data released by the league and Nielsen.
Several factors contributed to this surge in viewership. Nielsen implemented a new methodology, Big Data + Panel, for all events starting September 1, aligning with the commencement of the new television season. This enhanced measurement approach likely played a role in capturing a more comprehensive view of audience engagement.
Furthermore, Nielsen’s expanded measurement now includes out-of-home viewers in all states except Hawaii and Alaska. Data from smart TVs is also incorporated, alongside traditional cable and satellite set-top box information. This broader scope contrasts with previous measurements that focused solely on the top 44 media markets, covering approximately 65% of the country.
Notably, this season marks the third consecutive year with at least four games exceeding 20 million viewers, underscoring the NFL’s consistent drawing power.
NBC emerged as a prominent broadcaster during Week 1, showcasing the two most-watched games. The Philadelphia Eagles’ victory over the Dallas Cowboys averaged 28.3 million viewers across TV and digital platforms, positioning it as the second-most watched NFL Kickoff game to date. Despite a weather delay in the third quarter that temporarily halted play, the game was trending towards surpassing last year’s record of 29.2 million viewers for Baltimore versus Kansas City.
Also on NBC, Buffalo’s narrow victory over Baltimore drew 24.7 million viewers, making it the most-watched Sunday Night Football opener since 2022. Across these two games, NBC and Peacock averaged 26.5 million viewers, marking their second-highest opening week viewership average. The network’s strongest opening week performance occurred in 2015, when Steelers-Patriots and Cowboys-Giants games averaged 27.2 million viewers.
CBS also experienced success, averaging 24 million viewers for the late afternoon contest between Detroit and Green Bay. This represents the network’s most-watched Week 1 game since acquiring NFL rights in 1998. The Packers’ victory over the Lions marked Micah Parsons’ debut with Green Bay.
Overall, CBS averaged 20.4 million viewers for its doubleheader package encompassing six games. The early window, featuring four games including Pittsburgh’s win over the New York Jets, averaged 17.1 million viewers.
On Monday night, Minnesota’s comeback victory over Chicago garnered 22.1 million viewers across ESPN, ABC, and ESPN2. This represents the second-most watched Monday Night Football game since ESPN became the primary broadcaster in 2006 and an 8% increase compared to last year’s viewership.
Fox’s early Sunday singleheader, featuring six games headlined by Washington’s win over the New York Giants, averaged 17.9 million viewers.
Last Friday’s game in Brazil between the Los Angeles Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs, streamed on YouTube TV and NFL digital platforms, reached an average of 17.3 million viewers globally. In the U.S., the Chargers’ victory averaged 16.2 million viewers, including over-the-air broadcasts in Los Angeles and Kansas City.