NFL preseason ratings surge 17 percent, highest since '18

Field Level Media|published: Fri 29th August, 10:23 2025

NFL: Pro Football Hall of Fame Game-Los Angeles Chargers at Detroit Lions

Jul 31, 2025; Canton, Ohio, USA; Detroit Lions cheerleaders pose on the field after the game against the Los Angeles Chargers at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-Imagn Images

The NFL regular season hasn't even started yet, but viewership for the league is still setting records.

The league announced that this year's preseason averaged a record 2.2 million viewers per game across NFL Network, ESPN, CBS, NBC and FOX. That mark is 17 percent up from last year and the league's highest since 2018.

NFL Network, which handled the majority of the live games, averaged 1.8 million viewers for those broadcasts, which is the network's highest total ever for the preseason and up 26 percent from last year.

The preseason numbers may point to a good sign after last season's disappointing viewership decline. Last year saw the NFL's regular-season viewership fall by 2.2 percent from the previous year to 17.5 million viewers per game.

The inaugural game of the preseason saw a huge spike in viewership to kick off the well-watched preseason. The Pro Football Hall of Fame Game on July 31 -- featuring the Los Angeles Chargers and Detroit Lions -- averaged a whopping 6.9 million viewers, which was a 40 percent bump from the 2024 Hall of Fame Game.

The NFL regular season starts with the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles kicking off Sept. 4.

--Field Level Media