As broadcasters and streaming giants shell out unprecedented sums for NFL broadcasting rights—totaling over $120 billion across a 10-year cycle starting in 2023—the league is delivering a resounding return on that investment through soaring audience numbers.
Traditional networks like CBS, NBC, Fox, and ESPN, alongside digital platforms such as Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, and YouTube, are reaping the benefits of enhanced measurement tools and a revitalized fanbase, with games drawing larger crowds than in over a decade. This surge not only underscores the NFL's enduring dominance in live sports but also highlights the strategic pivot toward comprehensive data tracking that captures viewing habits across linear TV, streaming, and out-of-home locations like bars and restaurants.
In a celebratory post on X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday, the NFL announced that the average viewership per regular-season game through the first five weeks stands at 18.58 million viewers (encompassing both TV and digital platforms).
This marks the highest five-week average since 2010 and the second-highest on record, trailing only the league's own benchmarks from the peak of the 2010s boom. Compared to recent seasons, the numbers reflect robust growth: up 8% from the 2024 average (approximately 17.2 million through Week 5) and 9% higher than 2023's early-season pace.
These figures come amid a broader industry shift, including Nielsen's adoption of "Big Data + Panel" methodology—which integrates set-top box data with traditional panels for more accurate totals—and full out-of-home (OOH) measurement, credited with boosting reported viewership by 4-10% year-over-year.
The momentum builds on a blockbuster 2024 Super Bowl LIX, which averaged a record 127.7 million viewers and peaked at 137.7 million, setting a new high-water mark for the event. Early 2025 indicators were equally promising: Week 1 averaged 22.3 million viewers across all platforms (up 5% from 2024 and 19% from 2023), while the first two weeks hit 20.7 million (a 4% year-over-year increase).
Streaming has been a key driver, with Amazon's "Thursday Night Football" averaging 15.83 million viewers through its first three games—its strongest start in a decade and up 6% from last year—while attracting a younger median audience age of 47.5 (eight years below linear TV averages). Netflix's Christmas Day games in 2024 drew over 24 million, and international experiments like the YouTube-streamed Brazil game in Week 1 continue to expand the global footprint.
Analysts attribute the uptick to several factors beyond better metrics. The 2025 season has delivered an NFL-record 24 games decided by a game-winning score in the final two minutes of regulation or overtime through Week 5, fostering nail-biting drama that keeps viewers locked in.