With the NFL’s most famous team facing its most famous quarterback in a nailbiter, it is no surprise that the NFL Kickoff Game hit multi-year highs on NBC.
The Cowboys-Buccaneers NFL Kickoff Game averaged a 13.4 rating and 24.81 million viewers on NBC Thursday night, the league’s highest rated and most-watched season opener since 2016 (Panthers-Broncos: 14.6, 25.19M). Including additional streaming viewership not tracked by Nielsen — 1.6 million viewers across NBC’s digital platforms, including Peacock — the audience of more than 26 million viewers ranks as the highest for the Kickoff Game since 2015 (Steelers-Patriots: 27.40M).
Notably, the game averaged a 32 share — meaning that 32% of homes with televisions in use were tuned to the game in the average minute — the highest ever for the season opener. The previous high was a 28. The rating was nowhere close to the all-time Kickoff Game record of 16.2. The gap between the rating and share is an indication of the state of the industry, wherein mass viewing events like major sportscasts attract a larger percentage of the shrinking number of homes tuned to linear television.
Tampa Bay’s narrow win, which peaked with 25.4 million in the fast-nationals, increased 20% in ratings and 21% in viewership from Texans-Chiefs last year — which faced unprecedented competition from NBA and NHL playoff games (11.2, 20.54M) — and 5% and 13% respectively from 2019 (Packers-Bears: 12.8, 22.03M).
The game drew a 7.6 rating in adults 18-49, up 13% from last year (6.7) and the highest for the Kickoff Game since 2017 (Chiefs-Patriots: 7.7). It also pulled a 6.0 in adults 18-34 (+13%) and a 9.0 in 25-54 (+15%).
Dallas led all markets Thursday night with a 29.1 rating and 56 share, followed by Cowboys secondary market San Antonio at a 25.5/45. Tampa-St. Petersburg took the third-place spot at a 24.6/50. Providence was the top ‘neutral’ market at a 23.1/44, with nearby Boston sixth at a 21.4/43. The New England markets would seem to have clearly been tuning in for Tom Brady. Austin rounded out the top five at a 22.9/46.
[Nielsen estimates from NBC; ShowBuzz Daily 9.13]
