CBS Sports secured record-breaking viewership of its broadcasts within the NFL last year, attaining the most-watched regular season since the league returned to the company in 1998. Regular-season games on CBS averaged 19.345 million viewers, representative of a 5% year-over-year increase, and games within the 4:25 p.m. EST national window averaged 24.637 million viewers.
The NFL on CBS property recorded three of the top five most-watched games of the season, and Paramount+ obtained its most-streamed NFL regular season in history with double-digit year-over-year growth in households, minutes and average minute audience. The momentum continued throughout the NFL Playoffs, highlighted by an average of 123.7 million viewers watching Super Bowl LVIII on Paramount Global-owned platforms, rendering it the most-watched telecast in American history.
Play-by-play announcer Jim Nantz, analyst Tony Romo and sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson were on the call for the game and are returning as the lead broadcast team on CBS for their eighth season. The trio will cover marquee matchups every week, which includes the Thanksgiving Day game between the Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions, the AFC Playoffs and the AFC Championship Game. Ahead of the NFL season, the broadcasters joined CBS Mornings to discuss the forthcoming NFL season and what makes their presentation distinctive.
“Well, it’s like the three of you,” Nantz said, addressing hosts Nate Burleson, Gayle King and Tony Dokoupil. “We love being together, and by the way, this is the first time we’ve been on the air since Feb. 11, and 203 million people sampled that game. To your point, most-watched show of all time, Emmy Award-winning sideline reporter [Tracy Wolfson]. We just have fun but can’t wait to get the journey started.”
Nantz, Romo and Wolfson spoke about the NFL landscape, highlighting teams that could threaten to dethrone the Kansas City Chiefs amid the organization’s quest to be the first franchise to win three consecutive Super Bowl championships. Romo, a former NFL quarterback for 14 seasons, was asked about Tom Brady joining the lead NFL broadcasting team at FOX Sports and what it will be like to have him in the booth. In response, Romo reminded the viewers that Nantz called the most games featuring Brady and that the CBS team knows him well.
“I think it’s great for the industry that people want to go into this position and these roles,” Romo said. “I think you find that the NFL has that, the grab, and this was not always that. Troy Aikman, I felt like, really started this, and now it’s part of [possibly] to be an arc of your career, and Tom’s going to be great.”
Broadcasters from CBS Sports were at the NFL league offices in New York City on Monday to learn more about the changes within games this season. One particularly noticeable alteration is the new dynamic kickoff, beginning the drive with a kick from the 35-yard line as the kicking team and receiving team line up close to one another. The league has implemented the rule on a one-year basis and will have the ability to renew or eliminate it following the season.
“It’s definitely a little confusing,” Wolfson said. “It’s going to take some time to get used to, but for the NFL, their perspective is, you know, it wasn’t a relevant play anymore. Like you said, people were going to get chips, no one was returning the ball. It’s a way to make it more relevant again, but also keep player safety at bay, and I think that’s really important what their job is. I think it’s going to take a while for everyone to get used to it, but I’m excited to see how it turns out this season.”
Nantz, Romo and Wolfson will call their first game of the 2024 NFL regular season on Sunday, Sept. 8 at 4:05 p.m. EST as the Las Vegas Raiders face the Los Angeles Chargers in an AFC showdown. The lead broadcasting team returns to GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium for Week 2 between the Cincinnati Bengals and Kansas City Chiefs in the 4:25 p.m. EST national window. From there, the commentators will call the Pittsburgh Steelers game against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 3 at 1 p.m. EST.
