NFL viewership declined 2.2% during the 2024–25 regular season, with three of its five broadcast packages losing audience share.
The league averaged 17.5 million viewers per game, down from 17.9 million in the 2023–24 season, according to Nielsen Holdings PLC and Adobe Analytics data. The record high remains the 2015–16 season, which averaged 18.1 million viewers per game.
Despite the decline, the NFL continues to dominate traditional TV, offering advertisers rare access to mass audiences in an increasingly fragmented landscape. NFL broadcasts accounted for 72 of the 100 most-watched shows in 2024. Leading the list was the Kansas City Chiefs' overtime victory against the San Francisco 49ers in the Super Bowl, drawing a record audience of 123.7 million.
Among the 2024–25 season's regular broadcasts, Sunday afternoon games on CBS (US) and FOX (US), as well as ESPN (US)/ABC (US)'s "Monday Night Football," recorded audience declines. In contrast, NBC (US)'s "Sunday Night Football" posted a 1% increase, aided by record streaming figures, while Amazon.com Inc.'s Prime Video reported growth during its third season hosting "Thursday Night Football."
Sunday Night ekes out advance
NBC's "Sunday Night Football" averaged 21.6 million viewers in total audience delivery during the 2024–25 season, its best performance since 2015 and slightly above the 21.4 million average for 2023–24. This solidifies its position as linear TV's most-watched prime-time show for a record 14th consecutive year.
Viewership peaked during key matchups. The NFL Kickoff game on Sept. 5, 2024, featuring the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens, attracted 29.2 million viewers. The season finale on Jan. 5, where the Detroit Lions defeated the Minnesota Vikings 31-9, delivered 28.5 million viewers.
Digital platforms significantly boosted "Sunday Night Football" viewership, with an average minute audience (AMA) of 2.2 million across Peacock, NBCSports.com, the NBC Sports app and NFL Digital properties. This represents a 38% increase from the previous season’s 1.6 million AMA.
Prime push
Prime Video's third season of "Thursday Night Football" averaged 13.2 million viewers, including broadcasts in participating teams' home markets, marking an 11% increase from 11.86 million in 2023 and a 38% rise from 9.58 million in its inaugural 2022 season.
Using Nielsen's Big Data + Panel methodology, the full-season AMA reached about 14.2 million. This measure, set to be integrated more widely across the industry in 2025, combines data from 45 million households, 75 million devices and a panel of more than 100,000 individuals.
While these figures reflect growth, they fall short of the 16.4 million average audience during the 2021–22 season, when "Thursday Night Football" aired on linear networks including FOX, FOX Deportes (US) and NFL Network (US) alongside Prime Video.
Prime Video is set to stream its first NFL playoff game on Jan. 11, featuring the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers in a Wild Card matchup.
Sunday afternoon slippage
CBS, which remains outside a Nielsen contract, has not officially reported NFL viewership figures. But sources indicate the "NFL on CBS" averaged 19.2 million viewers per game during the 2024–25 season, down slightly from about 19.4 million the previous year.
Despite the decline, CBS delivered the most-watched NFL broadcast window for the second consecutive season. Its 10-game, 4:25 p.m. ET slate averaged 24.3 million viewers, led by the Buffalo Bills' win over the Kansas City Chiefs on Nov. 17, 2024, which drew 31.1 million viewers, the highest in the late window this season. The network also set a record for the early Thanksgiving window with 37.5 million viewers for the Detroit Lions' victory over the Chicago Bears.
FOX averaged 18.44 million viewers during the 2024–25 regular season, a 5% drop from about 19.4 million the prior year. "America's Game of the Week," the late Sunday afternoon slot, averaged around 23.9 million viewers. The Dallas Cowboys' win over the New York Giants in the late Thanksgiving window attracted 38.8 million viewers, the season's largest regular-season audience.
Overall, FOX accounted for five of the season's most-watched NFL broadcasts, more than any other network. The network is expected to deliver 2025's largest audience with its Super Bowl coverage Feb. 9, having sold out its ad inventory at record prices.
Monday Night maneuvering
Encompassing 22 games, the 2024–25 "Monday Night Football" regular-season package averaged 15 million viewers to rank as the second-most-viewed campaign behind the 17.36 million average audience the prior season, the package's best mark since ESPN became the primary rights-holder in 2006.
In part, this total was boosted by the league's decision to allow Walt Disney Co.'s broadcast network ABC to simulcast some games. In the 2023–24 season, amid two major Hollywood strikes, ABC provided full-season "Monday Night Football" coverage, which helped the package post a 29% advance over its 2022 audience.
During the 2024–25 season, ABC had 12 regular-season simulcasts with ESPN, plus three exclusive airings.
The package's concluding contest was its most-watched: the Cincinnati Bengals' win over the Denver Broncos in prime time on Jan. 4 attracted an average audience of 22 million. That was up 12% from the Houston Texans-Indianapolis Colts in the corresponding window the prior season.