NFL sets record, averages 21 million viewers per game in Week 1

The NFL set a Week 1 viewership record with 21.0 million average viewers on television and digital platforms, NFL Media reported Wednesday.

That represents a 12 percent increase over the 2023 opening week.

Additionally, total viewership was the highest since 2019, with 123 million people seeing at least part of one game over the course of opening week from Thursday through Sunday.

"A great start with the viewership. It was great to be back and a lot to be excited about," said Hans Schroeder, the executive vice president of NFL Media.

Not surprisingly, the most-watched game of Week 1 was Thursday night's season-opening rematch of last season's AFC title game. The Kansas City Chiefs' 27-20 victory over the Baltimore Ravens averaged 29.2 million on TV and digital.

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The Sunday night standalone game on NBC -- a 26-20 overtime win by the Detroit Lions over the Los Angeles Rams -- averaged 3 percent more viewers than last year with 22.7 million.

An average of 23.9 million viewers watched the premiere of Tom Brady in the booth for Fox Sports, with the Dallas Cowboys taking care of the Cleveland Browns 33-17. That was the best Week 1 number for Fox since 2020.