Tuesday, November 10, 2026

NFL Viewership Sees 2% Increase in First Two Weeks of 2023 Season

  • With 17.5 million average viewers, the NFL is experiencing its highest viewership since 2018.
  • Since the start of the 2023 campaign, NFL games account for the top 11 most-watched shows across TV and digital.
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott is tripped up by New York Jets defensive end Solomon Thomas in the second quarter at AT&T Stadium.
Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

Want more from Front Office Sports
in your search results?

Add Front Office Sports on Google

The NFL media machine keeps on churning.

Through two weeks of the new season, NFL games are averaging 17.5 million viewers across linear television and digital streaming — a 2% increase from 2022 and the highest average through two weeks since 2018.

Additionally, since the start of the 2023 campaign, NFL games account for the top 11 most-watched shows across TV and digital.

This includes the season opener between the Detroit Lions and Kansas City Chiefs (26.9M), and the Week 2 matchup between the New York Jets and Dallas Cowboys (25.9M), which was the most-watched program on any linear TV network since the Super Bowl, per CBS.

The “Monday Night Football” season premiere between the Buffalo Bills and the Jets (22.6M) — which included Aaron Rodgers’ debut and season-ending injury — came in third. Disney is paying $2.7 billion to show 21 NFL primetime games this season, the most in company history.

Football — and live sports in general — will continue to be a key piece to the major media companies’ strategies amidst the ongoing Hollywood actors’ and writers’ strikes.

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

CFP Expansion Raises Big Questions for Group of 6 Conferences

The highest-ranked G6 conference champion will earn an automatic CFP berth each year.

Vikings Reunite With Cousins As Raiders Begin Mendoza Era

Minnesota sent Las Vegas a third-round pick for Cousins.
Dec 20, 2025; Oxford, MS, USA; College Football First Round logo on field prior to the game between the Tulane Green Wave and the Mississippi Rebels at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

The Ripple Effects of a 24-Team College Football Playoff

The CFP officially announced plans to expand in 2027.
podcast thumbnail mobile
Front Office Sports Today

11/10/26 – NFL Trade Deadline Day, Russini Speaks, CFP Doubles to 24

0:00

Featured Today

Can MLS Capitalize on Son-Mania?

Korea and Tottenham fans alike have flocked to LAFC’s away matches.
Pickering High School North
November 4, 2026

High School Athletic Directors Say They’re Running ‘Mini Colleges’

ADs are managing a growing list of demands from athletes and parents.
October 30, 2026

How Injuries Hit Pro Marathoners in the Wallet

Staying healthy can get expensive—quickly.
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
October 21, 2026

Die-Hard Sports Fandom Has Reached the Afterlife

Will fans pay $6,000 to memorialize their team loyalty?
October 20, 2026

Why Europe Is Pumping Out NBA Superstars

The NBA and NCAA have an increasingly European flavor.
Feb 10, 2022; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Dianna Russini appears on the red carpet prior to the NFL Honors awards presentation at YouTube Theater. Mandatory Credit:

10 Burning Questions About Dianna Russini’s Sports-Media Comeback

Plenty of questions remain ahead of Russini’s upcoming return.
November 9, 2026

Dianna Russini Announces New Show With Offshore Sportsbook

BetUS announced ‘The Russini Report’ on Monday.
November 9, 2026

‘We Believe in Sports’: Skydance Combining HBO Max, Paramount+

Those services have rights to the NFL, MLB, NHL, NASCAR, and more.
Sponsored

How Jeremy Bloom Is Reinventing the X Games

Jeremy Bloom discusses transforming the X Games into a global brand.
November 8, 2026

Mike Tirico Out for ‘Sunday Night Football’ With ‘Health Issue’

The game was set to be Tirico’s 300th NFL broadcast.
The ESPN logo is seen on an electronic display in Times Square in New York City, U.S., August 23, 2017. REUTERS/Mike Segar
Exclusive
November 6, 2026

ESPN Warns Talent About Insider Betting on Prediction Markets

The guidelines were sent to on-camera talent at the end of October.
November 6, 2026

College Football’s Loaded Saturday Sets Up Huge Day for ABC, ESPN

The networks will broadcast five top-25 matchups Saturday.
Feb 7, 2022; Westlake Village, CA, USA; ESPN reporter Dianna Russini at Los Angeles Rams Super Bowl LVI Opening Night at Oaks Christian High School. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
First at FOS
November 6, 2026

Dianna Russini Set to Return to Media: What We Know

Russini’s new content is expected to be sponsored by gambling operators.