The NFL experienced a surge in viewership during its opening week, with an average of 21.0 million viewers per game, marking the most-watched Week 1 in history. This figure reflected a 12% increase from the previous year, according to data from the league and Nielsen. In total, 123 million people tuned in to at least part of a game, the highest number for an opening week since 2019.

Hans Schroeder, the executive vice president of NFL Media, expressed satisfaction with the strong viewership numbers, stating, “It was great to be back and a lot to be excited about.” The most-watched game of the week was the Thursday night matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Baltimore Ravens, which averaged 29.2 million viewers across TV and digital platforms.

Notably, Tom Brady’s debut as Fox’s lead analyst for the game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Cleveland Browns garnered an average of 23.93 million viewers. NBC’s broadcast of the Sunday night game between the Detroit Lions and the Los Angeles Rams, which saw the Lions emerge victorious in overtime, drew an average of 22.7 million viewers, reflecting a 3% increase from the previous year.

CBS, which aired six games during the week, achieved its most-watched Week 1 singleheader since reacquiring NFL rights in 1998, with an average of 17.79 million viewers. Additionally, the NFL’s return to Friday night football saw Philadelphia’s win over Green Bay averaging 14.0 million viewers on Peacock and NBC affiliates in select markets.

Despite facing challenges due to carriage disputes, “Monday Night Football” on ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPN+ still managed to average 20.4 million viewers for the game between the San Francisco 49ers and the New York Jets. This figure was slightly lower than the viewership for last year’s Monday night opener between the Jets and the Buffalo Bills. The successful start to the NFL season across various networks and platforms underlines the enduring popularity of the league among viewers.