THE NFL faced a rating drop for the first time in years after moving the season opener to a new day.
Even with a premier matchup in the form of a Super Bowl rematch between the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks, the NFL saw a considerable decline in season opener viewership.
The Patriots-Seahawks matchup drew an average of 25.1 million viewers, which far outweighs any of the other major sports leagues in the US, but it isn’t up to snuff for NFL standards.
That number is down 12 percent from last year’s opener between the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles.
Sign up for the Sport newsletter
Thank you!
In fact, it was the NFL’s least-viewed season-opener since the 2022 season.
There are a few reasons why this drop in viewership could happen.
The NFL opened on a Wednesday night this year, an unconventional day that could have pushed viewers away from watching.
But the most likely culprit is a change of methodology from Nielsen, the company that records TV viewing metrics.
Starting two weeks ago, Nielsen switched to a hybrid audience-measurement system that uses data from electronic devices and household panels.
The NFL still isn’t sure how that will affect ratings, but it looks like it will be a negative impact across all sporting events.
Most read in Sport
How to buy NFL tickets
The NFL season is officially underway - and here's how you can get your hands on tickets.
Below you’ll find all the places to catch the live NFL action in what should be an awesome push to Super Bowl LXI at Sofi Stadium in Inglewood, California.
*If you click on a link in this boxout we will earn affiliate revenue
Please note: Stubhub, Viagogo and Vivid Seats are secondary ticketing platforms. Tickets are resold on these platforms by individuals or businesses and not by the official event organizers. Tickets may be listed above or below face value, and prices may fluctuate by dynamic pricing based on demand. Additional booking fees and tax may apply to ticket purchases. Please be aware that tickets purchased through these sites may not guarantee entry to the venue or event (and may be void) if the official organizer does not permit resale of tickets, including on or through secondary ticketing platforms. Always check the event’s official ticketing terms and conditions and the applicable ticketing platform’s guarantees and complaint handling process before purchasing.
How to watch the NFL in 2026
THE NFL season has officially kicked off - and you can get some excellent deals to watch all the action.
Below you’ll find all the places to watch the biggest stars in the playoff field ANYWHERE in the country.
There’s some excellent deals on offer for the 2026 season.
*If you click on a link in this boxout we will earn affiliate revenue
“We don’t have enough impact data to fully assess,” NFL head of data and analytics Paul Ballew said in a conference call last month.
“We’re still trying to make sense of it. We’re still trying to make sense of some of the logic behind some of the methodological changes.
“From our initial impact, it looks like a negative for sports.
“On the other side, co-viewing or partial co-viewing implementation is a positive.
“So we’re going to have to continue to spend some time pulling this apart and making sense of it.”