Cowboys-Chiefs Thanksgiving Clash Shatters NFL Viewership Records
If you tuned in to the Cowboys-Chiefs game on Thanksgiving, you weren’t alone. In fact, you were part of history.
The NFL’s late-afternoon Thanksgiving matchup between Dallas and Kansas City wasn’t just a marquee showdown between two of the league’s biggest brands - it became the most-watched regular-season game in NFL history. That’s not hyperbole. That’s 57.2 million viewers locked into a 31-28 Cowboys win that had drama, star power, and the kind of national stage only Thanksgiving can provide.
This wasn’t a coincidence. The NFL knew exactly what it was doing when it scheduled its two most-watched teams - Dallas and Kansas City - on the biggest regular-season football day of the year.
The result? A viewership number that didn’t just break the previous record - it obliterated it.
The old mark, set back in 2022 when the Cowboys and Giants drew 42 million viewers, now looks like a warm-up act.
And the fireworks didn’t stop there. Earlier in the day, the Packers and Lions delivered their own record-breaking performance.
Green Bay’s 31-24 win over Detroit averaged 47.7 million viewers on Fox and Tubi, making it the most-watched early Thanksgiving Day game ever. That number alone would’ve set the all-time regular-season record - if not for what came next on CBS.
Then came primetime. The Ravens and Bengals capped off the day with a physical, gritty battle that averaged 28.4 million viewers across NBC, Peacock, and Telemundo - the most-watched Thanksgiving night game on record.
So, what’s driving these massive numbers? Part of it is technology.
Nielsen’s newer Big Data + Panel methodology gives a clearer picture of out-of-home viewing - and on Thanksgiving, that’s a game-changer. Families gather, TVs are on in the background, and football becomes the soundtrack of the holiday.
But it’s not just about data collection. The games themselves delivered.
The Cowboys came in hot, riding high off a thrilling comeback win against the Eagles. The Chiefs, meanwhile, had just pulled off a season-saving 23-20 overtime win over the Colts. Both teams brought momentum into Thanksgiving, and they gave fans a game worth watching - one that stayed tight into the final quarter, with big plays and big stakes.
It’s also worth noting that both teams are in the thick of the playoff hunt - but not comfortably. According to playoff projections, the Chiefs are sitting at a 37% chance to make the postseason, while the Cowboys are at 23%. In other words, every game matters, and fans know it.
There’s still more data to come. Viewership numbers for the Bears-Eagles Black Friday game on Prime Video are expected soon. But already, Thanksgiving 2025 has made its mark - not just as a feast of football, but as a record-breaking day that shows just how strong the NFL’s grip on American culture remains.
Three games. Three records. And a reminder that when the NFL puts its biggest stars on the biggest stage, the country shows up.