NFL sets record with most watched week 1, averaging 21 million viewers

The NFL had an opening week that surpassed last year's, with a large increase of viewership across the board. Around 21 million viewers watched the games, a 12% increase from 2023.

Nielsen says 123 million people tuned in to at least part of a game, the highest total since 2019. NBC's game featuring the Chiefs and the Ravens led the way, drawing 29.2 million viewers, making it the second most watched regular season game since 2006.

Fox also had a big week, with Tom Brady's debut as an analyst pulling nearly 24 million viewers for the Cowboys-Browns game, and CBS had its strongest week since 1998.

There were some regional rules in play too, cities like New York, Chicago and Atlanta couldn't air games opposite their home teams. Peacock's Friday night Eagles-Packers game drew 14 million viewers, the second most watched live event in its history.

Even with some blackouts, Monday night football on ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN+ still averaged 20.4 million viewers.

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