The NFL's 2025 preseason saw a significant viewership surge, signaling strong interest heading into the regular season. Across linear and digital platforms, preseason games averaged 2.2 million viewers per game, a 17% increase from 2024 and the highest since 2018, according to Front Office Sport.
On NFL Network, games averaged 1.8 million viewers, up 26% from last year and the network's best preseason performance on record. The Pro Football Hall of Fame Game on July 31, featuring the Chargers vs. Lions, kicked things off with 6.9 million viewers, a 40% jump from 2024.
The uptick aligns with Nielsen’s new Big Data + Panel methodology, blending traditional panel data with set-top box and smart TV metrics for a fuller view of audience behavior, likely boosting reported figures for live sports like the NFL.
Comparatively, the NFL’s preseason numbers outshine other sports’ recent showings. ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball averaged 1.765 million viewers in 2025, up 11%, while the NHL’s 2025 Stanley Cup Final averaged 2.5 million U.S. viewers, underscoring the NFL’s dominance as it heads into the regular season.