Though its viewership took a 2.2 percent tumble in 2024, the NFL’s numbers far eclipsed another other programming in U.S. broadcasting — sports or otherwise.
Among the top 100 broadcasts in the U.S. in 2024, the NFL claimed 70 — down from 93 the previous year.
Across all networks, the NFL averaged 17.5 million viewers, down from 17.9 million, but the league’s media presence received a massive boost from Amazon and Netflix this season. The league’s average viewers per game does not include Peacock, ESPN+ or international games on NFL Network.
Streaming also played a major factor, as broadcast networks saw record numbers of their audiences turn to digital platforms to access football broadcasts. Netflix broadcast its first live NFL games on Christmas, while Amazon saw the biggest year-to-year boost of any NFL rights holder.
Amazon’s “Thursday Night Football” coverage jumped 11 percent to an average of 13.2 million, and when including its Black Friday game, that number rose to 13 percent.
As for Netflix, the world’s largest streaming service’s live debut on Christmas averaged more than 24 million viewers for the Kansas City Chiefs-Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens-Houston Texans matchups.
Over at ESPN, the outlet owned by Disney averaged 15 million viewers for all 22 of its NFL games, its second-best season in 24 years. However, the figure is down about 14 percent from last year’s 17.4 million average viewers. Last year’s average was partly due to 19 “Monday Night Football” simulcasts or exclusives airing on ABC, mainly because of the writers’ and actors’ strikes in Hollywood.
At Fox, its pregame show was the most watched of any pregame show for the 31st year, but the entirety of its NFL coverage took a 3 percent tumble. Fox’s late Sunday afternoon America’s Game of the Week was down 3 percent to 23.9 million, but still led all league broadcast windows.
NBC saw a 1 percent uptick from 2023 for “Sunday Night Football,” which brought in 21.6 million viewers on a weekly basis. However, the digital audience from NBC’s Peacock and NBCSports.com, along with NFL Digital properties, drew an average of 2.2 million per game — a 38 percent increase for “SNF” over 2023.
For CBS, the Nov. 17 Kansas City Chiefs-Buffalo Bills matchup drew an average of 31.1 million, one of 2024’s biggest audiences. Per industry sources, the network finished down 1 percent at an average of 19.2 million per game. CBS did not release any viewership data after the season.
While the two-time defending champion Chiefs were the clear top draw among NFL viewers, the Cowboys took a surprising tumble among viewers and were even flexed to a lesser broadcast spot in Week 17.
Speaking of the Cowboys, their game against the Giants on Thanksgiving drew a final average of 38.8 million, making it the most-watched game of the 2024 season.
–Field Level Media
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