Thursday, October 22, 2026

NFL Remains King of TV Ratings with Strong Preseason

  • The NFL has already seen its exhibition games outperform MLB, NASCAR, and others in TV ratings.
  • The league’s regular season kicks off on Sept. 8.
Michael Chow/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

Want more from Front Office Sports
in your search results?

Add Front Office Sports on Google

The NFL has once again proved it’s the most popular professional sports league in America — as long as we’re counting the preseason.

The league has already seen its exhibition games outperform MLB, NASCAR, and others in TV ratings in the U.S. — two weeks before the NFL’s regular season kicks off on Sept. 8. 

  • Fox’s broadcast of Sunday’s game between the Baltimore Ravens and Arizona Cardinals averaged 3.22 million viewers. 
  • The broadcast marked the week’s most-watched and highest-rated sporting event with a 2.0 household rating, according to Nielsen.
  • In comparison, Fox’s “Field of Dreams” broadcast on Aug. 11 between MLB’s Cincinnati Reds and Chicago Cubs averaged 3.1 million viewers.
  • USA Network’s broadcast of NASCAR’s Federated Auto Parts 400 from Richmond Raceway averaged 2.56 million viewers on Aug. 14. 

The 2022 NFL preseason, which has two games remaining for all teams, got off to a hot start.

NBC’s broadcast of the annual NFL Hall of Fame Game on Aug. 6 between Las Vegas and Jacksonville — which included a rain delay — drew 5.48 million viewers as the Raiders defeated the Jaguars 27-11 in Canton, Ohio. 

Valuable Asset 

On Monday, Forbes unveiled its list of the most valuable NFL teams in 2022 — and the Dallas Cowboys topped the list for a 16th consecutive year and became the first team to be valued at $8 billion.

The league’s 32 teams are now worth an average of $4.47 billion — a 28% increase year-over-year.

Download the FOS App

The business of sports, in your pocket.

QR code to download the app

Scan the QR code to get the app now.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Goodell Addresses Steve Tisch, Paris Concerns, NFL Officiating

Goodell also talked about Jay-Z and Super Bowl halftime rumors.
Inglewood, CA - October 12, 2026 - SoFi Stadium: Troy Aikman prior to a regular season Monday Night Football game.
Opinion

‘Nobody Calls a Game Better’: Why ESPN Should Keep Troy Aikman

Michael Wilbon and Stephen A. Smith have publicly backed Aikman.
Football - NFL - Houston Texans v Jacksonville Jaguars - Wembley Stadium, London, Britain - October 18, 2026 The necklace of a Jacksonville Jaguars fan outside the stadium before the match

Die-Hard Sports Fandom Has Reached the Afterlife

Will fans pay $6,000 to memorialize their team loyalty?
podcast thumbnail mobile
Front Office Sports Today

10/22/26 – Rays-Brewers Can’t Stop Lockout, $771 to Watch NBA, Jaguars Fans’ Afterlife

0:00

Featured Today

Why Europe Is Pumping Out NBA Superstars

The NBA and NCAA have an increasingly European flavor.
October 15, 2026

College Flag Football Is Outgrowing Its DIY Era

Women have been building the college game themselves at the club level.
Oct 5, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas arrives at the arena before the Penguins host the Winnipeg Jets at PPG Paints Arena
October 12, 2026

NHL’s New Wave of GMs Is Built Different

“I am in the prediction business,” Devils GM Sunny Mehta tells FOS.
Action Images/Peter Cziborra
October 9, 2026

Is Leicester City’s $264 Million Price Tag Too Rich for Hungry Investors?

After falling from grace, how much is a former top club worth?
Oct 3, 2026; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer waits to run onto the field prior to the game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images
October 7, 2026

Who Is Alabama Football in Year 3 Under Kalen DeBoer?

The No. 6 Crimson Tide host No. 2 Georgia on Saturday.
Los Angeles, CA - October 27, 2025 - Dodger Stadium: Jeff Passan during game three of the 2025 World Series.

Jeff Passan: Brewers-Rays World Series Won’t Head Off MLB Lockout

Passan also addressed the backlash he received to comments about the Dodgers.
October 21, 2026

NBC, USA Claim Record Audience for Start of WNBA Finals

The Finals are tied 1–1 with the series shifting to Atlanta.
October 21, 2026

College Football’s Emerging Powers Are Shaking Up TV Ratings

BYU–Notre Dame averaged 9.2 million viewers on ABC.
Sponsored

Blake Griffin’s Plan for Media Domination

The former NBA star is building a second act across media & entertainment.
during WTGL Media Day at SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida on September 20, 2026.
Exclusive
October 21, 2026

WTGL to Lean Into Female Broadcast Talent on ESPN and Ion

ESPN’s Taylor Tannebaum will make her golf broadcasting debut.
October 20, 2026

Netflix Releases Q3 Earnings, Preps Big Q4 for Sports

The streaming giant tried to put a hopeful spin on staff cuts.
CBS Sports NFL B Team covering the Cincinnati Bengals versus New York Jets at MetLife Stadium on September 25, 2022.
October 20, 2026

Evan Washburn Eyes March Madness for His ‘Instant Film Room’

The CBS sideline reporter has put a new spin on postgame interviews.
Josh Pate Front Office Sports Tuned In
October 20, 2026

Josh Pate: Internet Hate Is ‘Not Real Life’

Pate learned the lesson on campus trips alongside Danny Kanell.