TV Ratings: NFL Is Soaring, But...

NFL viewership is up heading into Week 3 of the regular season. By how much? That depends on how you look at it, according to Front Office Sports.

Through two weeks of action, the average viewership of all NFL games is 18.7 million, 8% higher than the average audience during the first two weeks of the 2023 season. 

However, this season included the league’s debut game in Brazil, an Eagles 34–29 win over the Packers, which was streamed exclusively on Peacock. That rare Friday night matchup in Week 1 drew 14.2 million viewers in prime time, including local over-the-air audiences in Philadelphia and Green Bay.

Since there’s no previous game window to compare that to, the NFL has been excluding it from its viewership reports. Without the Peacock game, NFL broadcasts are averaging 19.7 million viewers—up 12% compared to last season, and the second highest on record through two weeks.

So, the story around NFL viewership to start the season is positive, either up 8% or 12%—dealer’s choice. And as the weeks go on, the impact of the Peacock stream on overall NFL numbers will lessen, according to Front office Sports.