Ravens vs. Chiefs was most-watched NFL season opener ever, NBC says

BALTIMORE — The AFC championship game rematch between reigning NFL Most Valuable Player Lamar Jackson and defending Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes brought in a huge national television audience.

The host Kansas City Chiefs’ thrilling 27-20 win over the Ravens on Thursday night was the most-watched NFL kickoff game ever, according to NBC, averaging 28.9 million viewers. It’s a 5% increase over last year’s 27.5 million viewers for the Detroit Lions vs. Chiefs opener.

Despite a roughly 20-minute delay because of thunderstorms that forced players to leave the field and fans to take shelter in the concourse at Arrowhead Stadium, Thursday night’s game peaked at 33 million viewers in the second quarter (between 9:30-9:45 p.m. ET). NBC said the viewership numbers are based on live plus same-day custom fast nationals from Nielsen and digital data from Adobe Analytics.

Unsurprisingly, Kansas City was the top local market with a 43.4 local rating and 80 share, which means that 80% of all televisions in use in Kansas City were tuned in to the game. Baltimore had the second-highest local viewership with a 24.5 rating and 60 share, followed by Denver; St. Louis; Norfolk, Virginia; Cincinnati; and Pittsburgh.

The game registered a national TV household rating of 12.6/37. The 37 share is NBC’s largest for any regular-season game since debuting the “Sunday Night Football” package in 2006. The Thursday night season opener, traditionally hosted by the defending Super Bowl champions, dates to 2002.

NBC said it drew 4.6 million viewers on its digital platforms, including the live stream on Peacock, up 65% from last year’s season opener.

The NFL has been a dominant draw, recording 14 of the top 15 most-watched prime-time telecasts in 2023. The Chiefs’ playoff win over the host Ravens in January was the most-watched AFC championship game ever, averaging 55.47 million viewers and peaking at more than 64 million viewers. According to Sportico, Thursday’s game was the 17th-most-watched U.S. broadcast of 2024 and is currently the year’s 12th-biggest NFL telecast.