The official viewing figures for the NFL's first game in Brazil between the Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers show that 14.2 million fans watched the game.
The NFL opened this season's International Series in Sao Paolo, Brazil, for the first time. The Eagles , who debuted a black helmet and team graphics, beat the Packers by a narrow 34-29 margin.
The 14.2 million tally came with the game shown exclusively on streaming platform Peacock, along with a small number of local in-market broadcasts. The number made the game the second-most watched live event on Peacock, only surpassed by the AFC Wild Card game, where the Kansas City Chiefs earned a 26-7 win over the Miami Dolphins .
Figures show that the viewership was up 94% compared to Peacock's prior exclusive NFL game, which saw 7.3 million viewers watch the Buffalo Bills face the Los Angeles Chargers on the platform on Dec.23, 2023. That would appear to indicate the streaming experiment with the NFL and NBC is working.
The highest overall viewership was 15.3 million viewers, who turned in from 9:30 to 9:45 p.m. ET. During that time, the game was in the middle of its second quarter, which saw three touchdowns and two field goals; it was the most action-packed scoring quarter of the night.
Saquon Barkley electrified the crowd in his debut performance in Philadelphia , scoring three touchdowns: two rushing on the ground and one receiving through the air. His last score came with less than two minutes left in the clock in the third quarter, giving the Eagles a lead they would hold for the rest of the game.
Jalen Hurts was criticized online for his performance in the win after throwing two interceptions and two touchdowns with 278 yards. He connected with AJ Brown for 119 yards, including a 67-yard touchdown pass to open up their scoring efforts in the third quarter. Packers QB Jordan Love suffered a leg injury in the second half of the game, expected to sideline him for 3-6 weeks.
The game was a massive success for Peacock and was its most-watched non-Olympic show since Apr 5 on a Friday. “With seven lead changes and a down-to-the-wire finish, the Packers and Eagles put on a terrific show for the fans in Sao Paulo last night, and our technical, production, and announce teams matched that with a best-in-class presentation exclusively on Peacock,” said Rick Cordella [NBC Sports President] after the game.
“Following the Paris Olympics and Paralympics, we are excited to continue our momentum with the most prestigious properties and events in sports on NBC Sports and Peacock.”
Eagles-Packers was one of ten games to stream in the Peacock/NBC Universal family this season. Sunday Night Football is going into its 13th season, and the show is approaching being the No. 1 ranked primetime show on TV, beating out American Idol. Here's the rest of the of the games NBC/Peacock will feature this season:
- Sept 5: Baltimore Ravens @ Kansas City Chiefs
- Sept 6: Philadelphia Eagles vs Green Bay Packers
- Sept 8: Detroit Lions vs Los Angeles Rams
- Sept 15: Chicago Bears @ Houston Texans
- Sept 22: Minnesota Vikings vs Kansas City Chiefs
- Sept 29: Buffalo Bills @ Baltimore Ravens
- Oct 27: Dallas Cowboys @ San Francisco 49ers
- Nov 3: Philadelphia Eagles vs Jacksonville Jaguars
- Nov 28: Miami Dolphins @ Green Bay Packers
- Dec 8: Kansas City Chiefs vs Los Angeles Chargers
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