How many people watch the NFL? The National Football League is the most popular sport in the United States, with tens of millions of football fans tuning in for every big game three days a week. Here, we’re examining the NFL TV ratings and how the league’s popularity is faring each season.
NFL TV ratings data is collected from SportsMediaWatch.com and official press releases from the league’s broadcasting partners (CBS, FOX, NBC, ESPN and Amazon). With that in mind, let’s dive into the NFL TV ratings this season.
Related: NFL Sees Record-Breaking Week 1 Ratings With 21 Million Viewers
NFL TV ratings 2024: Examining Viewership for Week 15
| Game | Network | Viewership (Millions) |
| Buffalo Bills vs. Detroit Lions | CBS | 23.3 million |
| Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Philadelphia Eagles | FOX | 16.4 million |
| Atlanta Falcons vs. Las Vegas Raiders | ESPN | Combined viewership averaged 17.8 million (specific viewership number not disclosed) |
| Chicago Bears vs. Minnesota Vikings | ABC | Combined viewership averaged 17.8 million (specific viewership number not disclosed) |
| Los Angeles Chargers vs. Denver Broncos | Amazon Prime Video | 11 million |
In Week 15, the NFL enjoyed impressive viewership numbers thanks to scheduling. Both marquee games were aired simultaneously on CBS and FOX, on a doubleheader late afternoon slot. And that strategy paid handsomely as the viewerships of these games combined approached 40 million.
The NFL doubleheader on Monday Night Football averaged 17.8 million viewers from 8:30 pm to 11:15 pm EST with a peak of 19.4 million viewers from 9pm to 9:15pm EST. Viewership numbers for each game were not shared, but it’s clear from the overlap that it had strong audience interest.
Monday Night Football, which has now brought in nearly 100 million fans in less than two months, is averaging 14.4 million viewers per game through Week 9.
Most-watched NFL games 2024
Here are the most-watched NFL games this season.
| Game | Network / Week | TV Ratings (Avg. Millions) |
| New York Giants vs. Dallas Cowboys | CBS (Thanksgiving Day) | 38.8 million |
| Chicago Bears vs. Detroit Lions | FOX (Thanksgiving Day) | 37.5 million |
| Kansas City Chiefs vs. Buffalo Bills | CBS (Week 11) | 31.2 million |
| Baltimore Ravens vs. Kansas City Chiefs | NBC (Week 1) | 29.2 million |
| Cincinnati Bengals vs. Kansas City Chiefs | CBS (Week 2) | 27.9 million |
NFL primetime games ratings
Here is a quick rundown of NFL TV ratings 2024 on Sunday Night Football (NBC), Monday Night Football (ESPN) and Thursday Night Football (Amazon Prime Video) entering NFL games today.
| Thursday Night Football | Sunday Night Football | Monday Night Football |
Week 15: 11 million Week 14: 12.3 million Week 13: 17.3 million | Week 15: 16.8 million Week 14: 20.6 million Week 13: 20.4 million | Week 15: 13 million Week 14: 9.7 million Week 13: 8.5 million |
Also Read: NFL TV ratings: Tracking and analyzing weekly NFL television ratings during the 2024 season
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