CBS Sports closed the NFL season with historic momentum, delivering record-breaking viewership that reinforced the network’s position as a dominant force in professional football coverage.
From the regular season through the postseason, CBS not only set internal benchmarks but also produced the two most-watched NFL games across all networks this year, culminating in a massive audience for the AFC Championship Game.
The AFC title game between the Patriots and Broncos was the postseason’s most-watched game on any network. It averaged 48.618 million viewers. The total represented a 10% increase over last year’s comparable early championship window. The growth underscores sustained audience interest despite increasingly fragmented viewing habits.
Interest peaked as the game reached its conclusion, when nearly 58 million viewers tuned in.
That performance joined another CBS showcase atop the season’s viewership rankings. The Thanksgiving Day matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and Dallas Cowboys averaged 57.231 million viewers, making it the most-watched NFL game of the entire season.
Together, the Thanksgiving contest and the AFC Championship accounted for the two largest audiences for any NFL broadcast this year, regardless of network or window.
Those standout games reflected a broader trend of success for the NFL ON CBS brand. Across the regular season and postseason, CBS Sports averaged 23.094 million viewers per game. It marked the most-watched NFL season in the network’s history. The milestone reflects strong game inventory and consistent audience engagement. Viewership remained steady from early-season matchups through the league’s biggest games.
CBS’ national NFL windows proved especially powerful. The network aired 14 national games, including 10 Sunday national broadcasts, its annual Thanksgiving game and three postseason contests. Collectively, those games averaged 31.374 million viewers, the best average ever recorded for CBS in national NFL windows.
Streaming also played a significant role in the network’s success. Paramount+ delivered its most-streamed NFL season ever. The performance expanded CBS’ reach beyond traditional television. It also captured audiences seeking flexibility in how and where they watch live sports.
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