NFL Week 1 Sets Viewership Record With 21 Million Average, Up 12% 

With the full audience results from the NFL’s Week 1 now in, the league’s dominance is only growing stronger. 

Already enjoying bullish results from the league’s initial national games, the full slate of the NFL’s opening weekend averaged 21 million viewers across all platforms, representing the most-watched Week 1 on record, and up 12% from a year ago. The NFL’s total audience from Sept. 5–9 of 123 million was also the largest such viewership since 2019, and up slightly from the comparable 122 million to begin the 2023 season. 

The NFL’s year-over-year viewership comparison excludes the Sept. 6 Packers-Eagles game in Brazil, given the particularly unusual nature of that Friday night broadcast. But that contest still drew 14 million viewers for the exclusive airing on Peacock, the second-most-watched event on that service, pleasing executives for both the league and NBCUniversal. 

Within those overall figures, Sunday afternoon coverage on CBS and Fox averaged 18.4 million viewers per game, up 21% from last year and the highest opening week Sunday afternoon viewership since 2016. ESPN, meanwhile, averaged 20.4 million viewers across several Disney-owned networks for the Monday Night Football opener between the Jets and 49ers. That figure, though down 10% from last year’s record-setting figure and marred somewhat by the ongoing DirecTV-Disney carriage dispute, still marked the second-most-watched MNF season debut since 2006.

The overall lift for Week 1 gives the NFL some important early momentum as it faces potential headwinds ahead, including fewer MNF simulcasts on ABC and the upcoming U.S. presidential election.