• Loading stock data...
Wednesday, October 29, 2025
Want a chance to win $250 and free FOS gear? Take our quick reader survey. Take the survey here

NFL Caps Dominate Regular Season (Again), This Time up 7% in Ratings

  • The league continues to grow its TV stature while the rest of the broadcast landscape shrinks.
  • Gains are also achieved in several key demographic segments.
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The NFL concluded its 2023 regular season in much the same fashion as it began: with the league in a dominant position and only getting stronger.

The league averaged 17.9 million viewers per game across all networks for the regular season, up by 7% from a year ago and the NFL’s best figure since 2015. In addition to the aggregate viewership bump, each of the league’s domestic rights-holders showed growth from 2022:

  • Amazon: Up 24% to an average of 11.86 million for Thursday Night Football.
  • CBS: Up 5% to an average of 19.35 million for overall coverage and an average of 24.64 million for late Sunday afternoon games. CBS also had the season’s most-watched game with an average of 41.76 million for the Washington-Dallas game on Thanksgiving.
  • ESPN: Up 29% to an average of 17.4 million for Monday Night Football.
  • Fox: Up 2% to an average of 24.62 million for its America’s Game of the Week national broadcasts. The network was down 2% overall to 19 million for its NFL coverage.
  • NBC: Up 8% to an average of 21.4 million for Sunday Night Football

The league’s viewership improvement is the result of several factors, including weaker overall broadcast primetime performance due to the writers’ and actors’ strikes, better scheduling that allowed for top contests in national windows, a heightened emphasis on Christmas Day, and additional exposure of ESPN’s Monday Night Football on sister broadcast network ABC. 

The NFL’s rating growth contrasts sharply with a comparable 16% drop in overall broadcast primetime viewership to a record-low figure of 2.8 million, with that figure owing heavily to a decrease in original entertainment programming due to the strikes. So while the rest of the broadcast landscape is shrinking, the NFL continues to build its audience. 

The NFL also showed improvement in several, more-specific measures including female viewership, which rose 9% to its highest level since that record keeping began in 2000, as well as the best levels of viewership in the under-35 demographic since 2019. The league further flexed its television prowess by claiming 93 of Nielsen’s top 100 broadcasts in 2023. 

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Oct 26, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards forward Marvin Bagley III (35) and forward Kyshawn George (18) talk after a turnover against the Charlotte Hornets during the third quarter at Capital One Arena.
exclusive

Wizards Hire Ex-ESPN Editor Cristina Daglas for Front Office Role

ESPN placed Cristina Daglas on administrative leave in January.

NFL Ratings Continue to Surge: CBS and NBC on a Record Pace

NBC is averaging 24.7 million viewers per game for “Sunday Night Football.”
FuboTV

Disney’s Fubo Deal Closes After DOJ Ends Antitrust Review

The deal creates the sixth-largest pay-TV company in the U.S.

Rozier’s Lawyer Says Missed 2023 Games Cost Him Shoe Money

Rozier had a Puma deal through the end of the 2022–23 season.

Featured Today

September 21, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; NFL commissioner Roger Goodell before the game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Arizona Cardinals at Levi's Stadium

NFL Fall Meeting: 7 Big Topics Among Team Owners 

Media, facilities, and labor highlight some of the key areas of concern.
Ohio State Buckeyes running back Isaiah West (32) runs the ball in the second half at Camp Randall Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025 in Madison, Wisconsin
October 25, 2025

NIL Has Birthed a Third-Party Cottage Industry—and It’s a Mess

There’s no limit to how much players can make from NIL deals.
Christie's
October 21, 2025

Lou Gehrig’s $4M Jersey and the Exploding Sports Memorabilia Market

An ultra-rare sports collection is about to hit the auction block.
@chef__tezz/Instagram
October 19, 2025

Inside the NFL’s Private Chef Network

Private chefs are the unsung architects of player performance.
YouTube/ Multiple streaming services appear on a Roku TV.

YouTube in Another Carriage Dispute, This Time With Disney

ESPN and ABC could be dropped from the No. 4 U.S. pay-TV distributor.
May 17, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees left fielder Jasson Dominguez (24) shakes hands with New York Mets right fielder Juan Soto (22) after the top of the fifth inning at Yankee Stadium.
October 23, 2025

Mets, Yankees, and the Nielsen Debate That Won’t Go Away

Weeks after the end of the MLB regular season, viewership issues remain.
Oct 21, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) keeps the ball away from Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant (7) during the second half at Paycom Center
October 23, 2025

NBA’s NBC Return Draws 5.9M Viewers, Best Opener Since 2010

Thunder vs. Rockets peaked at 7.1 million viewers.
Sponsored

Why Alexis Ohanian Is Betting Big on Women’s Sports

Alexis Ohanian reflects on his evolution from Reddit cofounder to one of today’s most dynamic sports investors.
Brian Windhorst
October 23, 2025

Brian Windhorst Details Emergency Landing on Omaha–L.A. Flight

The pilots and flight attendants had a communication issue.
October 22, 2025

YouTube Stars Help Bring Back Golf Channel’s ‘Big Break’

The show will return in 2026 after an 11-year hiatus.
Candace Parker
October 22, 2025

Candace Parker Wants NFL-Style Coverage From NBA Media

Amazon will stream its first NBA doubleheader Friday.
Netflix
October 21, 2025

Netflix Staying on the Sidelines As TNT Sports Parent Seeks Buyer

The streaming giant shows little interest in acquisition possibilities.