Wednesday, August 12, 2026

Ratings Resurgence

Patrick Mahomes
Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

NFL viewership is stabilizing. Following two weeks of year-over-year viewership dips, the league drew an average of 15.5 million viewers per game in Week 3 — flat compared to last year.

Viewership for Weeks 1 and 2 was down 8% and 5%, respectively. Week 3’s “Monday Night Football” matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens was up 36% compared to the same night last year.

Meanwhile, the NHL’s Stanley Cup Final ratings were down 61% year-over-year, with only 2.88 million viewers tuning in to watch the Tampa Bay Lightning secure the title on Monday. Despite the crammed sports schedule and viewers being drawn to cable news leading up to the presidential election, the top 15 shows on TV have all been NFL games since the season began.

Most-Viewed Broadcasts Since NFL Season Began:

26.3M — Buccaneers vs Saints, Week 1

22.8M — Cowboys vs Seahawks, Week 3

20.6M — Texans vs Chiefs, Week 1

19.0M — Cowboys vs Rams, Week 1

19.0M — Chiefs vs Chargers, Week 2

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