Sunday, October 11, 2026
  • -
    days
  • -
    hours
  • -
    minutes
  • -
    seconds

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

Opinion

It’s Time for NFL Networks to Hire ‘Clock Management’ Specialists

Washington let the clock run out instead of kicking a field goal.

Bears, Saints, Packers Pay Tribute to Mike Ditka

The Bears are wearing an “89” helmet decal in tribute.

Deshaun Watson’s Revived Play Raises Questions About Future

Watson is in the fifth and final year of his contract.
podcast thumbnail mobile
Front Office Sports Today

10/9/26 – MLB’s 154-Game Pitch, NFL Bets on SCOTUS, Shaq Says Barkley Isn’t Leaving

0:00

Featured Today

Action Images/Peter Cziborra

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.
Cubs behind the scenes
October 6, 2026

Hollywood and TikTok: Sports Media’s New ‘Blueprint’

Teams and leagues are pouring money into the quest for fans.
October 2, 2026

How the Baseball Cap Became a ‘Behemoth’

The hat has become essential for athletes, fans, and the sports-agnostic.
Morishita-Sato-homerun-celebration-at-Meiji-Jingu-Baseball-Staidum-2025
September 28, 2026

Japanese Baseball Is Fighting Back Against MLB Talent Drain

Nippon Professional Baseball is reimagining how to be a global juggernaut.
Oct 23, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Stephen A. Smith (Stephen Smith) on the ESPN NBA Countdown live set at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Stephen A. Smith Ditches the ‘Nopology’ in Lane Johnson Mea Culpa

Smith faced criticism for comments about Johnson retiring to focus on mental health.
Kenny Albert Fox Sports
First at FOS
October 7, 2026

Kenny Albert’s Last-Minute NLDS Fill-In Came Mid-Colonoscopy Prep

Albert filled in for Joe Davis, who had lost his voice.
Soccer Football - Ligue 1 - AS Monaco v RC Strasbourg - Stade Louis II, Monaco, - April 19, 2025 TV pundit holds a DAZN microphone before the match
October 8, 2026

DAZN Grows Sports Footprint as It Acquires Local Rights

The streamer has quickly amassed a large collection of team rights.
Sponsored

Beyond the Scorecard: How Dow Is Putting Purpose at the Center of Women’s Golf

Discover how Dow and the LPGA are building a partnership with lasting impact.
Charles Barkley Shaquille O'Neal
First at FOS
October 7, 2026

Shaquille O’Neal on Charles Barkley Retiring: ‘I Don’t Believe That’

Barkley has walked back retirement plans before, most recently in 2024.
Sep 26, 2026; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; United States President Donald Trump is shown on the video board in attendance at Neyland Stadium before the game between Texas Longhorns and Tennessee Volunteers. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-Imagn Images
October 7, 2026

Trump Still Plans to Attend Georgia-Alabama Despite Tropical Storm

The tropical storm projects to progress to a hurricane by Friday.
Oct 4, 2026; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Kansas City Chiefs running back Kenneth Walker III (9) runs for seventy-six yards against Las Vegas Raiders cornerback Taron Johnson (3) and safety Jeremy Chinn (11) during the fourth quarter at Allegiant Stadium.
October 7, 2026

Combined Sports Assets Give Skydance Leverage With NFL

The company’s co-CEOs spent Day 1 meeting with employees and press.
Max Kellerman Ring Magazine
Exclusive
October 6, 2026

Max Kellerman, LeSean McCoy Not Returning to DAZN Boxing Show

DAZN announced Tuesday that Mario Lopez is joining the show.