NFL opening week viewership drops to 19.5 million average per game
Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Sep 17, 2026, 4:19 PM
Last updated Sep 17, 2026
The first week of the 2026 NFL regular season averaged 19.5 million viewers per game, a 13% decrease from last year's record 22.3 million. This week included more games than last year, with a total of eight. The highest-viewed game featured the New York Giants defeating the Dallas Cowboys, attracting 25.7 million viewers. Meanwhile, the Seattle Seahawks edged past the New England Patriots in a tight matchup that drew 25.1 million. Despite the drop, overall average viewership remains higher than last year's regular season average of 18.7 million.
- •First week viewership down 13% from 2025's opening week.
- •Most-watched game featured the Giants defeating the Cowboys, 28-20.
- •Seattle Seahawks beat the New England Patriots, 13-10.
- •NFL's overall average viewership remains higher than last year's average.
- 4:19 PMYahoo Sports — NFL Opening Week Draws 19.5M Viewers, Down 13%
"The first week of the 2026 NFL regular season fell 13% to an average 19.5 million viewers per game vs. the record-breaking 22.3 million viewers per game averaged during Week 1 of the previous season.
Sources
External linksOriginal reporting and copyright belong to the linked sources. SportsNewsReport.com aggregates and links — it does not republish full articles.
Related Stories
Last 14 days
NFL•Sep 17, 2026, 6:42 PMTreVeyon Henderson injury update from Patriots puts RB in play for Week 2
NFL•Sep 17, 2026, 6:41 PMCowboys DC Parker addresses viral sideline exchange with rookie: 'It wasn't a fairy tale'
NFL•Sep 17, 2026, 6:40 PMVictim in Josh Jacobs case files motion to permanently seal video - NBC Sports
NFL•Sep 17, 2026, 6:36 PMHow did the 49ers rookies fare in Week 1?
NFL•Sep 17, 2026, 6:36 PMExamining the Eagles’ recent history in Week 2 matchups- NFL•Sep 17, 2026, 5:41 PMIs Thursday Night Football on tonight for 2026 NFL Week 2?