Mike Florio ,
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From the moment the NFL released the 2025 schedule, it became immediately clear that Thursday’s Chiefs-Cowboys game will be the most-watched regular-season game ever.
The current record came three years ago, on Thanksgiving Day 2022. Then, 42.1 million watched the Cowboys beat the Giants, 28-20. The audience surpassed a Monday night game from 1990 between the 10-1 Giants and 10-1 49ers, which had attracted 41.5 million.
Seven of the nine largest audiences games landed on Thanksgiving. The other happened in 1985, when the Dolphins gave the Bears their only loss of the season on a Monday night in December.
Even if both squads didn’t have their postseason backs essentially against the wall, the game between the franchises that fancy themselves “America’s Team” was destined to set the record — especially with the new Nielsen system that is operating like reverse Ozempic for audience size.
Here’s something else to consider, as the fourth Thursday in November approaches. With the second game of the day destined to finish first, the first game of the day could finish second.
It’s a prediction that was made on Monday by John Ourand of Puck, in his Varsity newsletter. The underpinnings: it’s a consequential game between two currently popular teams, the new Nielsen bump, and the simulcast on Tubi, which added 13.6 million viewers to Fox’s broadcast of Super Bowl LIX.
With the Lions ascending in recent years, the early game has shifted from captive audience to appointment viewing. This year, it’s must-see TV. And it’s not crazy to think that 42.1 million will be beaten by both of the Thanksgiving afternoon games.
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