Last week, the game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Dallas Cowboys made NFL Thanksgiving viewing history, becoming the most-watched regular-season game in history with approximately 57 million viewers. Now, the battles between the Green Bay Packers/Detroit Lions and Cincinnati Bengals/Baltimore Ravens have also set records, according to NFL beat writer Ari Meirov.
“NFL Thanksgiving viewership numbers: – Packers-Lions: 47.7 million (most watched early Thanksgiving game) -Chiefs-Cowboys: 57.2 million (Most watched regular season game ever) -Bengals-Ravens: 28.4 million (Most watched Thanksgiving night game,” Meirov wrote on X.
The Chiefs-Cowboys game had numerous playoff implications, as both teams are currently on the outside looking in. Likewise, the Packers moved up the standings with a win over an NFC North rival. The battle on Thanksgiving night featured the return of Joe Burrow, who faced the Ravens.
Another thing that worked in the Packers' favor against the Lions was how close the game was. Early on, the Packers took the lead, but the Lions kept finding a way to stay in the game by scoring a touchdown in response to every Packers score. Later, the Chiefs and Cowboys also played a back-and-forth game that went down to the final minutes.
The Bengals and Ravens also had an extraordinary Thanksgiving battle. Lamar Jackson's struggles allowed the Bengals to pounce early, making this a different game than many had anticipated. The primetime lights brought out the best in Burrow, and his return was a success. Because of this, the game drew more people than any NFL Thanksgiving game had ever drawn at night.
The NFL succeeded in putting the best possible games out there, and the TV ratings were testimony to that. While the Chiefs and Cowboys both are struggling, their widespread popularity helped draw more eyes to their contest. Likewise, the shared histories of the Packers-Lions and Bengals-Ravens made them both compelling enough for millions to tune in.
