NFL averaged 21 million viewers per game for opening week, its highest on record

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The NFL averaged 21.0 million viewers per recreation throughout the league’s opening week, making it the most-watched Week 1 on file.

The league and Nielsen stated Wednesday morning that the per-game common on TV and digital platforms was a 12% improve over final yr.

All informed, 123 million folks noticed at the least a part of one recreation, its highest whole for a gap week since 2019.

“An excellent begin with the viewership. It was nice to be again and lots to be enthusiastic about,” stated Hans Schroeder, the chief vice chairman of NFL Media.

NBC had the most-watched recreation, with defending Tremendous Bowl champion Kansas Metropolis’s 27-20 victory over Baltimore in final Thursday’s opener averaging 29.2 million on TV and digital. It was NBC’s second-largest common season recreation since 2006, when it acquired the “Sunday Evening Soccer” package deal. The Sunday night time recreation between Detroit and the Los Angeles Rams, which the Lions gained 26-20 in additional time, averaged 22.7 million, a 3% soar from final yr.

Tom Brady’s first recreation as Fox’s high analyst — Dallas’ 33-17 win over Cleveland — averaged 23.93 million. The six video games that have been a part of Fox’s doubleheader (4 early, two late) averaged 18.64 million, making it the community’s greatest begin since 2020.

This was the primary time since 2020 that Fox solely had the Sunday afternoon doubleheader in Week 1. Each CBS and Fox carried two video games apiece on the opening Sunday the previous three seasons.

CBS averaged 17.79 million for its six video games, its most watched Week 1 singleheader because it reacquired NFL rights in 1998. Most of CBS’ associates had video games within the 1 p.m. EDT window, however New York, Chicago, Atlanta and Pittsburgh received Jim Harbaugh’s first recreation as coach of the Los Angeles Chargers towards the Las Vegas Raiders at 4:05 p.m. EDT.

New York, Chicago, Atlanta and Pittsburgh couldn’t air video games in CBS’ early window as a result of it’s a league rule that no recreation is proven reverse the sport of the native workforce.

Philadelphia’s 34-29 victory over Inexperienced Bay within the NFL’s first Friday night time Week 1 recreation in 54 years averaged 14.0 million on Peacock and NBC associates in Philadelphia, Inexperienced Bay and Milwaukee. It was the second-most watched stay occasion in Peacock’s four-year historical past, behind final season’s AFC wild card spherical recreation between Kansas Metropolis and Miami.

“I feel the numbers even exceeded our expectations. Brazil was nice and the sport was an thrilling one,” Schroeder stated. “On a brand new night time and window, I feel that was an outstanding begin for us.”

“Monday Evening Soccer” on ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN+ averaged 20.4 million for San Francisco’s 32-19 win over the New York Jets regardless of most DirecTV prospects not having the ability to obtain it resulting from its carriage dispute with Disney (the one method they may watch it’s if their ABC affiliate was not owned by Disney, which was not the case for DirecTV prospects in New York and San Francisco).

The common was down from the 22.7 million for final yr’s opener between the Jets and Buffalo.

___

AP NFL: