The NFL’s two biggest draws combined with the Thanksgiving holiday netted the league a new regular-season viewership record.
By a lot.
The Dallas Cowboys’ 31-28 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday, Nov. 27 pulled in 57.2 million viewers on CBS, the network announced.
The previous record for most-watched regular season game was 42.1 million from a Thanksgiving matchup in 2022 between the Cowboys and New York Giants.
The early-window game between the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers on Thanksgiving drew 47.7 million viewers, according to FOX, which also broke the previous record and is now the second most-watched regular-season game
Going into the season, NFL officials recognized the significance of putting the Chiefs-Cowboys game on Thanksgiving, a holiday synonymous with football.
Nielsen revamped its ratings reporting prior to the start of the 2025 NFL season to account for more fans who watch on smartphones or smart TVs, in addition to its continuing enhancement of out-of-home viewing data.
From international games to ‘Thursday Night Football’ to the traditional Sunday afternoon windows, NFL ratings are up in 2025 and following the upward trajectory from the nadir of the 2020 season.