> At a Glance
> – The NFL averaged 18.7 million viewers per game this season, the best since 1988 and only 300,000 short of the all-time record.
> – Every weekly package grew, with Prime Video’s Thursday slate up 16% and CBS up 11%.
> – CBS’ Thanksgiving Chiefs-Cowboys contest became the most-watched regular-season game ever at 57.2 million.
> – Why it matters: The surge shows live football remains the most powerful draw on TV, even as Nielsen’s new out-of-home and smart-TV metrics inflate totals.
The NFL just closed its most-watched regular season since records began in 1988, averaging 18.7 million viewers across TV and digital platforms-up 10% from last year and only 300,000 below the 1989 peak.
New Math, New High
Nielsen’s switch last September to Big Data + Panel counting and the inclusion of out-of-home viewing (plus smart-TV data) helped lift numbers. The old method tracked only the top 44 markets, covering 65% of the country.
Every Window Wins
All five weekly packages gained audience:
- Prime Video Thursday Night Football: +16% to 15.3 million-its best mark since the package launched in 2006.
- CBS: +11% to 21.25 million, the network’s best regular-season average on record.
- ESPN/ABC Monday Night Football: +9% to 15.8 million (or 16.5 million including Week 18 Saturday games).
- NBC Sunday Night Football: +9% to 23.5 million, pacing to be primetime’s top show for the 15th straight year.
- Fox: +6% to 19.6 million, its best since 2015.
Record Breakers
- Thanksgiving’s Chiefs-Cowboys on CBS drew 57.2 million, the most-watched regular-season game ever.
- Christmas night’s Broncos-Chiefs on Prime Video averaged 21.1 million, topping the prior stream record of 19.4 million.
- CBS’ late-national window averaged 25.8 million, beating Fox for the third year in a row.
Streaming Spillover
Nielsen’s October data showed:
- Peacock viewing up 16% month-over-month.
- Paramount+ up 8%.
- Prime Video claimed 6.4% of all Thursday TV usage.
Key Takeaways
- The NFL’s 18.7 million average is its second-best since 1988.
- Prime Video’s exclusivity has grown Thursday night audiences 60% since 2022.
- CBS owns four of the season’s top 10 most-watched games.
- NBC will likely finish the TV season at No. 1 and hosts the Super Bowl on Feb. 8.
With every network package rising and streaming numbers climbing alongside, the league’s grip on American viewership has never been stronger.
