• Loading stock data...
Sunday, July 6, 2025

Dallas Cowboys Win In TV Ratings But Lose On the Field

  • Cowboys vs 49ers averages 45.7 million viewers.
  • Second most-watched Divisional game ever.
Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Given the huge TV drawing power of the Dallas Cowboys, Fox Sports executives can only be dreaming about what might have been for the upcoming NFC Championship Game and Super Bowl 57.

During the NFL Divisional Playoffs, the Cowboys demonstrated once again why they are indeed America’s Team when it comes to TV ratings:

  • Fox drew 45.7 million viewers for its telecast of the Cowboys’ 19-12 loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday. It was the most-watched telecast of any kind on any network since NBC Sports’ telecast of Super Bowl 56.
  • Cowboys-49ers was the most-watched game of the NFL’s four-game Divisional weekend – and the second most-watched NFL Divisional game ever behind the 48.5 million for Cowboys-Green Bay Packers in 2017.
  • The week before, the Cowboys generated Disney and ESPN’s most-watched playoff game ever (31.2 million viewers) by beating Tom Brady’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Wild Card Weekend.
  • On Thanksgiving Day, the Cowboys vs. New York Giants drew 42 million viewers, making it the most-watched regular season game in league history.
  • Fox’s telecast of the Philadelphia Eagles’ blowout win over the Giants averaged 28.6 million viewers, making it the most-watched prime telecast on Saturday night.

Cowboys-Bucs Projected to Be Disney’s Most-Watched Playoff

The Cowboys’ 31-14 win over the Bucs averaged 30.6 million viewers.
January 18, 2023

Meanwhile, CBS Sports averaged a whopping 39.3 million viewers for its telecast of the Cincinnati Bengals’ road win over the Buffalo Bills. It was the most-watched AFC Divisional Playoff game in the early TV window. 

NBC grabbed a Total Audience Delivery (TAD) of 34.3 million viewers for its coverage of the Kansas City Chiefs-Jacksonville Jaguars.  

The telecast across NBC TV, Peacock, NBC Sports Digital, and NFL Digital platforms was the most-watched Saturday afternoon Divisional game since 2013.

The game drew a 45.1 TV rating in the Kansas City market and 34.5 in the Jacksonville area.

From an NFL perspective, the league says the four Divisional Playoff games averaged 37.1 million viewers.

That’s down 3% from last year’s Divisional Playoffs. But the third-highest on record behind 2022 and 2015. 

And an 11% increase over the five-year average of 33.5 million viewers between 2018 and 2022.

The weekend produced a total unduplicated audience of 126.3 million viewers for the NFL. 

That’s also down 3% from last year – the highest Divisional round average on record. 

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

American Celebs Want to Be Sports Owners. Soccer Is Where They Start

As U.S. team prices climb, investors set their sights abroad.

Baseball’s Celebrity Row: Behind MLB’s First-Pitch Ritual

Often planned, sometimes spontaneous, the ritual throw is baseball’s celebrity row.
Jul 2, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers two-way player Shohei Ohtani (17) heads to the dugout prior to the first inning against the Chicago White Sox at Dodger Stadium.

MLB Changes Are ‘Showing Great Results’: Former CFO

Big stars playing in major markets “make a real difference.”

3,000 Hot Dogs, $20K in Prizes: Behind the Nathan’s Eating Contest

Nathan’s serves up thousands of hot dogs and $20,000 in prize money.

Featured Today

Geoffrey Esper Can’t Catch a Break at Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest

“Hot dogs is not one of my favorite competitions of the year.”
June 29, 2025

The Battle Over Wimbledon’s Ambitious Expansion Plan

A classic NIMBY standoff on one of the most hallowed grounds in sports.
Seattle Rough & Tumble
June 28, 2025

Women’s Sports Bars Are on the Rise. Survival Isn’t Guaranteed

Some women’s sports bars are cashing in. Others are clawing for funding.
June 27, 2025

Shitposters Have Taken the Reins of Pro Sports’ Official Voices

Meet the social media pros turning sports teams into internet trolls.

Paramount Settles Trump Suit Ahead of NFL Season, Skydance Merger

The deal likely allows the much larger Skydance merger deal to proceed.
June 24, 2025

Fever vs. Aces Draws 5th-Largest TV Audience of 2025 WNBA Season

ESPN will carry seven more Indiana Fever games this year.
Leo Messi
June 27, 2025

TNT, Club World Cup Ride Messi to Surprisingly Solid Debut Ratings

TNT Sports carries about a third of matches in the U.S.
Sponsored

Hottest Matchups Following NFL Schedule Release

The NFL released the 2025 regular-season schedule, and anticipation is already building in the ticket marketplace with four months to go.
June 23, 2025

NBA Finals Game 7 Is Most-Watched Since 2019, but Series Drops 9%

Game 7 drew 16.35 million viewers, the most-watched NBA game since 2019.
June 19, 2025

Pacers Force Game 7, Could Spark Big Ratings Boost for NBA Finals

Game 7 could boost NBA Finals ratings after a slow start this year.
June 17, 2025

Stanley Cup Final Delivers Drama but Struggles for Eyeballs in U.S.

U.S. viewership fell while Canadian audiences for the event rose slightly.
June 17, 2025

Streaming Tops Linear for First Time, Sports Still Key to TV’s Resilience

Streaming hits another critical milestone in an accelerating media transition.