NFL Thanksgiving Games Average 44.7 Million Viewers

The National Football League's Thanksgiving Day games drew record-breaking audiences this year, with the Dallas Cowboys' 31-28 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs on CBS attracting 57.23 million viewers, the highest ever for a regular-season matchup. The tripleheader, broadcast across CBS, Fox and NBC on November 23, collectively averaged 44.7 million viewers, surpassing the previous year's total by more than 10 million.

The afternoon contest between the Cowboys and Chiefs, which kicked off at 4:30 p.m. Eastern time in Dallas, peaked at 61.36 million viewers during its final minutes. This figure shattered the prior regular-season record of 42.06 million, set by a 2022 Thanksgiving game between the Cowboys and New York Giants on Fox. Compared to last year's Thanksgiving afternoon game, also featuring the Cowboys against the Giants, viewership rose 47 percent. David Berson, president and CEO of CBS Sports, described the matchup as "a perfect recipe for a record audience," adding that the network was "thrilled and honored" by the milestone.

Earlier that day, the Green Bay Packers edged the Detroit Lions 31-24 in the 1 p.m. Eastern slot on Fox, pulling in 47.7 million viewers. This...