Thanksgiving Day football delivered historic viewership numbers across both FOX Sports and CBS Sports, underscoring the enduring appeal of the NFL’s holiday slate.
FOX Sports’ exclusive early afternoon broadcast of the Green Bay Packers versus the Detroit Lions drew 47.7 million viewers, making it the most-watched early Thanksgiving Day game on record.
Viewership peaked between 4:00 and 4:15 p.m. ET with 57.957 million viewers, marking FOX’s most-watched regular-season game ever. Streaming performance mirrored linear success, with the telecast topping all FOX platforms for both Thanksgiving Day and regular-season NFL broadcasts.
Later in the day, CBS Sports’ presentation of the Kansas City Chiefs versus Dallas Cowboys delivered its own record-setting numbers. The game averaged 57.230 million viewers, making it the most-watched regular-season NFL game in history. Viewership peaked during the thrilling conclusion with 61.357 million viewers. Paramount+ also reported its most-streamed NFL regular-season game ever.
“The NFL. Thanksgiving. Chiefs. Cowboys. A perfect recipe for a record audience,” said David Berson, President and CEO of CBS Sports. “We’re thrilled this NFL showcase on CBS and Paramount+ delivered the most-watched regular-season game in NFL history.”
CBS noted that this season NFL on CBS has posted its best viewership since the NFL returned to the network in 1998, averaging 22.120 million viewers, up 9% from last year. Paramount+ is also experiencing its strongest NFL season to date in streaming.
The Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys have become a staple of early Thanksgiving Day programming, but this year’s telecasts outperformed all previous games, reflecting both the teams’ national appeal and the growing importance of digital streaming.
With FOX and CBS both setting records, Thanksgiving Day has reaffirmed its status as one of the most-watched and highly anticipated dates on the NFL calendar, showcasing the league’s ability to command massive audiences across platforms.
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