The NFL Kickoff game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens on Thursday night in Stamford, Conn. was a highly anticipated matchup that did not disappoint. Kansas City's thrilling 27-20 victory over Baltimore proved to be a major draw for viewers, making it the most-watched NFL Kickoff game since the event began in 2002.
With a total audience average of 28.9 million, the game surpassed the previous record set in 2015 when the New England Patriots defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers. This marked a 5% increase from the previous year's opener, where Detroit beat Kansas City.
Despite a 20-minute delay at the start of the game due to a storm with lightning, NBC still managed to average 24.3 million viewers, peaking at 33 million during the second quarter. The network also saw a 37 share, which is the largest for any regular-season game since it began airing NFL prime time games in 2006. A share represents the percentage of all television sets in use at a given time that are tuned into a particular program.
In addition to traditional television viewership, streaming on platforms such as Peacock, NBC, and NFL digital platforms also contributed to the overall audience numbers. Adobe Analytics reported an average of 4.6 million viewers streaming the game online.
Overall, the high viewership numbers for the Chiefs-Ravens game highlight the continued popularity of the NFL and the excitement surrounding the start of the season. As fans eagerly tune in to watch their favorite teams compete, the league can expect continued success in engaging audiences across various platforms.