The NFL delivered a historic slate of Thanksgiving Day matchups in 2025, setting multiple all-time viewership records as fans tuned in from afternoon kickoff through primetime.
The late afternoon showdown on CBS between the Kansas City Chiefs and Dallas Cowboys averaged an unprecedented 57.2 million viewers, making it the most-watched NFL regular season game ever. It surpassed the previous record of 42.1 million set by the Giants versus the Cowboys in 2022.
Across all three games — Packers versus Lions, Chiefs versus Cowboys and Bengals versus Ravens — the NFL averaged 44.7 million viewers, marking the highest Thanksgiving Day average since records began in 1988. The figure eclipses the previous record of 34.5 million set in 2024 and continues a four-year streak of Thanksgiving growth.
Digital streaming performance also hit new highs, with an average minute audience of 2.2 million, up 58 percent from last year.
“Thanksgiving and NFL football have become synonymous,” said Commissioner Roger Goodell. “We are honored to be part of so many families’ holiday tradition.”
The early FOX matchup between the Packers and Lions drew 47.7 million viewers, the biggest audience ever for an early Thanksgiving game. NBC’s primetime Bengals versus Ravens broadcast drew 28.4 million viewers, a 7 percent jump from last season.
NFL programming continues to dominate, ranking 48th among the top 50 television broadcasts since the start of the 2025 season.