Mike Florio ,
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Before the prior single-game regular-season viewership record was obliterated by Chiefs-Cowboys, it was shattered by Packers-Lions.
Via Fox, 47.7 million watched the Thanksgiving Day opener.
The prior all-time record was 42.1 million, set by Giants-Cowboys in 2022. Both of the 2025 afternoon games beat that number.
Viewership peaked at 57.957 million from 4:00 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. ET.
Last week, John Ourand of Puck planted the flag as to the possibility of Packers-Lions breaking the all-time record for the regular season.
The release from Fox touts various superlatives; however, it doesn’t mention the fact that Packers-Lions did better than any regular-season game ever televised by any network, other than the Chiefs-Cowboys game that those 57.957 million started watching only 15 minutes after Packers-Lions ended.
The numbers from the two games raise the stakes for 2026. The NFL will have to make good decisions as to the teams that will face the Lions and Cowboys on November 26 in order to come close to the 2025 numbers.
For the Lions, the home options will include their NFC North rivals, the Patriots, Buccaneers, and perhaps the Eagles (if both finish first in their divisions this season). For the Cowboys, seemingly viable possibilities include (beyond NFC East rivals) the 49ers and the Steelers, Ravens, or Bengals (based on how the teams finish in the standings).
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