‘NFL on CBS’ registers its most-watched regular season since league action returned to the network in 1998, averaging 19.345million viewers, up five percent from last season

NFL on CBS posted its most-watched regular season since football returned to the network in 1998, with an average audience of 19.345 million viewers – a five percent increase from 2022.

CBS Sports’ broadcast of the National Game, which began at 4:25 PM ET on Sunday, averaged 24.637 million viewers. That’s more than any other sports, entertainment or news series on any network that day, the network said.

The Thanksgiving Day game between the Washington Commanders and Dallas Cowboys was the most-watched game of the regular season on any network, with an average of 41.762 million viewers. The matchup is also one of the top five most watched games this season.

Paramount+, which often airs its content on CBS, had its most streamed NFL regular season ever with double-digit annual growth in households, minutes and average minute audience (AMA).

CBS will host Super Bowl 58 in Las Vegas on February 11.

SUPER SUNDAY: CBS will show Super Bowl 58 in Las Vegas on its network on February 11

Overall, NFL regular-season games averaged 17.9 million viewers, tied for the second-highest since averages were first tracked in 1995, according to Nielsen figures.

Buoyed by at least a 24 percent increase in two of the five packages, the first year of the league’s new television contracts saw an overall increase of seven percent over last season.

The highest average ever recorded is 18.1 million from 2015.

Hans Schroeder, the league’s executive vice president of media distribution, pointed to the number of teams still eligible for postseason berths in the final two weeks, along with close games throughout the 18-week regular season. Of the 272 games, 113 were decided by six or fewer points, the second most in league history. Over the past two seasons, 55.8 percent of games were within one score (eight points).

‘It starts on the field. “You look at the number of close games and the number of young stars like CJ Stroud (Houston) and old stars like Matthew Stafford (Los Angeles) that probably didn’t get enough attention,” Schroeder said. “When you look at that and combine that with the first year of these new TV packages and some of the flexibility that they had, I think that’s why the numbers are where they are this year.”

According to Nielsen figures, the 16-game “Thursday Night Football” package on Prime Video averaged 11.86 million viewers, a 24 percent increase over last year’s debut season. All but three weeks saw double-digit increases compared to last year.

NBC’s “Sunday Night Football” package averaged 21.4 million, its best viewership since 2015, and an eight percent increase over last year. The package contained six games, averaging at least 25 million, equaling the 2013 milestone.

The top game was the September 7 opener between the Detroit Lions and Kansas City Chiefs, which generated 27.5 million points.

Fox saw a two percent drop in profits in its overall count (19.42 million), but in the late period profits rose two percent (24.62 million). That’s the best performance in the 4:25 PM late matches since 2015, despite blowouts on seven of the 10 dates.