To the surprise of absolutely no one, the NFL remains king when it comes to professional sports in America.
It was previously reported the NFL’s Week 1 games averaged 19.5 million viewers, a 13% drop from the Week 1 average audience (22.3 million viewers) in 2025. The season opener between the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks averaged 25.1 million viewers, making it the lowest-rated NFL opener since 2022.
With Week 2 in the books, the NFL should feel a bit better about its ratings.
According to Austin Karp of Sports Business Journal, average viewership through two weeks is only down 4% compared to last year. It helps that the NFL’s Week 2 games averaged 20.4 million viewers.
Although the ratings are down through two weeks compared to the 2025 viewership numbers, it’s still the third-highest average in NFL history.
Denny Medley-Imagn Images.
Looking ahead to the Week 3 slate.
Week 3 of the NFL season kicks off this Thursday night with the Atlanta Falcons and Green Bay Packers.
This Sunday’s afternoon slate will feature a few marquee matchups, including a battle in Brazil between the Baltimore Ravens and Dallas Cowboys.
NBC’s “Sunday Night Football” will feature two playoff contenders in the Los Angeles Rams and Denver Broncos.
As for “Monday Night Football,” ESPN will shine the spotlight on the Philadelphia Eagles and Chicago Bears.
