The NFL’s 2025 season opened in emphatic fashion—not just on the field, but in the broadcast booth. Across all four of its U.S. broadcast partners—CBS, Fox, NBC, and ESPN—the league delivered record-breaking numbers, reinforcing its status as the most dominant media property in American sport.
CBS Leads with Historic Numbers
Paramount-owned CBS Sports had its strongest NFL Week 1 performance since it regained rights in 1998.
- Average audience: 20.38M across the Sunday doubleheader (+15% YoY).
- Peak game: 23.89M for Lions vs Packers—the most-watched CBS NFL broadcast in Week 1 since 1998.
- The earlier Steelers-Jets matchup also delivered strong figures, building momentum for the afternoon slot.
These numbers reflect not just scheduling luck but the NFL’s ability to sustain high engagement even in a crowded sports media environment.
Fox Holds Strong in the Singleheader Slot
Fox Sports drew an average of 17.9M viewers in its singleheader broadcast, making it the most-watched Week 1 singleheader since 2015.
- The Washington Commanders’ 21-6 win over the New York Giants drove much of this success.
- The performance demonstrates the NFL’s structural strength: even without the marquee doubleheader, Fox delivered decade-high numbers.
NBC’s Prime-Time Showcase
NBC’s Sunday Night Football hit a three-year high with the Bills’ dramatic 41-40 win over the Ravens:
- Average audience: 24.7M across NBC and Peacock.
- Peak audience: 28.2M—the biggest Sunday night Week 1 NFL audience since 2022.
The seamless integration of linear and streaming is proving to be NBC’s key differentiator, with Peacock now playing a material role in boosting reach.
ESPN’s Monday Night Football Delivers
Disney-owned ESPN also saw its best Week 1 Monday Night Football ratings since it took over the slot in 2006:
- Average audience: 22.1M for Vikings vs Bears (+8% YoY).
- A last-second 27-24 Minnesota win ensured peak engagement throughout the broadcast.
Global Push: Brazil as the Growth Market
The NFL’s second consecutive Week 1 kickoff in Brazil highlighted its global ambitions:
- National broadcaster Globo recorded a 41% YoY audience increase.
- Across five Week 1 games, Globo averaged 2.7M viewers.
- The Chargers’ win over the Chiefs delivered an average minute audience of 686K on pay-TV—the highest of the week in Brazil.
This confirms South America as a key frontier in the NFL’s global growth strategy, following its success in Mexico, Germany, and the UK.
365247 Consulting Insight
The NFL’s Week 1 success underscores three truths about its media model:
- Multi-platform dominance – By spreading rights across CBS, Fox, NBC, and ESPN/Disney, the NFL maximizes exposure while maintaining competitive bidding.
- Streaming integration – Peacock, YouTube, and ESPN’s digital extensions are no longer secondary—they’re essential in capturing younger, digital-first fans.
- Global staging – Brazil’s numbers prove international markets aren’t just showcase events; they’re pathways to sustainable new audiences.
For other leagues, the takeaway is clear: dominance comes from layering global reach with domestic stability, and from embedding streaming as a co-equal partner rather than a bolt-on.
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