Friday, June 5, 2026

CBS Draws 50M Viewers For Epic NFL, CFB Slate

  • Bills-Chiefs was network’s most-watched Week 6 game in 15 years.
  • Alabama-Tennessee is the most-watched college football game this year.
Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

CBS Sports had a weekend to remember as it generated massive TV audiences for its pro and college football coverage

By luck of the schedule, CBS aired Alabama vs. Tennessee and Buffalo Bills vs. Kansas City Chiefs back-to-back on Saturday and Sunday. Between the two marquee games, and the network’s regional coverage of Baltimore Ravens vs. New York Giants on Sunday, CBS totaled a combined average viewership of 50.418 million viewers with 10.36 billion minutes consumed.

The Bills’ thrilling 24-20 win over the Chiefs was CBS’ most-watched Week 6 “NFL on CBS” telecast in 15 years. 

  • The late-afternoon telecast averaged 25.407 million viewers, up 7% over the comparable game window last year and 43% from the two teams’ primetime matchup last year.
  • With the Giants suddenly relevant again in the country’s largest TV market, the network’s regional coverage of the Giants’ 24-20 comeback win over the Ravens averaged 13.454 million viewers, up 7% from last year. 
  • CBS’ Week 2 broadcast of the Dallas Cowboys vs. Cincinnati Bengals (27.391M) remains the most-watched NFL game so far season-to-date.

Tennessee’s equally thrilling 52-49 win over Alabama was the most-watched college football game on any TV network season-to-date. 

  • The game averaged 11.557 million viewers, up 145% from last season and besting Texas-Alabama — the previous most-watched game this season (10.6M).
  • As the game reached its finish, Tennessee-Alabama viewership peaked at nearly 17 million. 
  • It was the most-watched regular season game on CBS since Alabama-LSU drew 16.712 million viewers in 2019. 

CBS has now broadcast the most-watched college football for five weeks in a row. 

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Sign up for
The Memo Newsletter

Get the biggest stories and best analysis on the business of sports delivered to your inbox twice every weekday and twice on weekends.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Sanders’s Record NFLPA Income Was Mostly From Trading Cards

The bulk of Sanders’s record NFLPA income came from cards, not jerseys.
Dec 20, 2025; Oxford, MS, USA; Eli Manning former Mississippi Rebels quarterback and NFL star visits the field prior to a game against the Tulane Green Wave at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.

Not ‘About Raising Prices’: Eli Manning Invests in Youth Sports

Manning discussed the Knicks’ playoff run and the Giants’ new coach.
Mar 30, 2026; Phoenix, AZ, USA; NFL commissioner Roger Goodell arrives during the 2026 NFL Annual League Meeting at the Arizona Biltmore.

NFL Defends TV Deals As Goodell Declines to Testify Before Congress

The league continues to tout its commitment to broadcast television.

ACC’s Brazil CFB Game Scrapped With Return to Virginia

NC State and Virginia were set to face off in Rio de Janeiro.

Featured Today

FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - FIFA World Cup - UEFA Qualifiers - Group A - Germany v Luxembourg - Rhein-Neckar-Arena, Sinsheim, Germany - October 10, 2025 Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann

‘Weird Corners of the World’: How to Find a World Cup Coach

National associations look for a winning record—and also hope for serendipity.
June 3, 2026

The Elite High Schools Hosting World Cup Teams

Spain, Morocco, Croatia, and Switzerland chose schools as their tournament base camps.
Frances Cabral-Delaney
May 29, 2026

How Arsenal Fandom Went ‘Manic’

“People do not become Arsenal fans because it’s easy,” says Zohran Mamdani.
May 23, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Fans participate in a tarp off during a MLB game between the Los Angeles Angels and the Texas Rangers at Angel Stadium
May 28, 2026

‘Tarps Off’: How Shirtless Fans Took Over MLB

The viral movement began with the SFA club baseball team.

Stanley Cup Final Viewership for Game 1 Nearly Doubles on ABC

The Vegas win was the most-watched Stanley Cup Final opener since 2019.
exclusive
June 4, 2026

ESPN Evaluating AI Promos After Tony Parker Backlash

The network says it used AI for portraits of Parker and others.
Feb 5, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA; The ESPN logo at the Super Bowl LIX media center at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
June 4, 2026

ESPN Braces for More Layoffs

The cuts are expected to affect both talents and non-camera-facing employees.
Sponsored

Landon Donovan: What Soccer in America Still Needs

Landon Donovan discusses the evolution of soccer in America and investing in the NWSL.
June 4, 2026

Duke-Michigan Hoops Moving to MLB Ballpark to Skirt Rights Issue

The crux of the move is due to media-rights complications.
June 3, 2026

Spurs-Thunder Outdraws Last Year’s NBA Finals 

The 2025 NBA Finals drew 10.27 million viewers.
June 2, 2026

NHL Set to Enter Rights Talks With ESPN, TNT As Ratings Climb

The league’s recent run of heady viewership gives it greater bargaining power.
June 2, 2026

Knicks Keep Mitchell Robinson Away From Media Amid Mystery Injury

Robinson is the longest-tenured Knick.