Fans couldn’t get enough of the NFL in 2021. The league announced Wednesday that this season, the NFL has averaged 17.1 million viewers per game across television and digital platforms, its highest regular-season average ratings since 2015.
This represents a 10% increase in viewership over the 2020 season. In total, fans watched 370 billion minutes of NFL football during the 2021 season.
According to the league, NFL games accounted for the 16 most-watched television shows of 2021 and 91 of the top 100.
No game drew more crowds than the Raiders-Dallas Cowboys clash on Thanksgiving in Las Vegas; 40.8 million people tuned in.
The Cowboys have been involved in five of the NFL’s 10 most-watched games this season:
| GAME | WEEK | NETWORK | VIEWERS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Raiders vs. Cowboys | 12 | CBS | 40.8M |
| Cowboys vs. Chiefs | 11 | FOX | 28.7M |
| Browns vs. Packers | 16 | FOX/NFLN | 28.6M |
| Bears vs. Lions | 12 | FOX | 28.2M |
| Buccaneers vs. Patriots | 4 | NBC | 27.2M |
| Cardinals vs. Cowboys | 17 | FOX | 26.8M |
| Rams vs. Packers | 12 | FOX | 25.2M |
| Cowboys vs. Buccaneers | 1 | NBC | 25.2 |
| Packers vs. Chiefs | 9 | FOX | 25.0M |
| Cowboys vs. Chargers | 2 | CBS | 25.0M |
The 2021 season was the first with a 17-game schedule. This season, too, things went in quick succession: 34 games were only decided in the last play.
The Tennessee Titans and Green Bay Packers finished the regular season as leaders in their respective conferences.
Photo: IMAGO / Icon SMI
