The Dallas Cowboys and New York Jets’ showdown in AT&T Stadium brought in record viewership for CBS on Sunday afternoon. Any other regular season game this season will have a hard time matching CBS’s 25,780,000 viewers, which is the most for any TV program since Super Bowl LVII in February.
The game’s viewership made it one of the top 10 most-watched regular season games in NFL history.
If any game can match 25.78 million viewers this season, it’s likely going to be another Cowboys game. Dallas is red hot and even if you’re not a fan of America’s Team, they also happen to be one of the teams NFL fans love to hate-watch the most.
The Cowboys have a playoff game rematch against the San Francisco 49ers coming up on NBC’s Sunday Night Football that could fit the bill. A conference rivalry game in primetime with two potentially undefeated teams will have NFL fans flipping the NBC in droves.
The Cowboys have another opportunity to break their own viewership record this season on Thanksgiving Day. Thanksgiving games rake in the views, plus, it will be Dallas’ first matchup against the Washington Commanders this year after waiting weeks to face their divisional rivals.
The NFL ON CBS is off to its best start in 13 years, averaging nearly 19 million viewers (18.998).
— CBS Sports PR (@CBSSportsGang) September 19, 2023
Sunday's National Game Window, led by the Cowboys' win over the Jets, is the most-watched program on any network since Super Bowl LVII with 25.780 million viewers. pic.twitter.com/Fo0kwyZyAC
NFL on CBS scored another big win on Sunday. The noon game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Jacksonville Jaguars pulled in 16.514 million viewers. It was CBS’s most-watched Week 2 regional game window since 1998, according to the network.
Last year, the NFL set a record with an average audience of 115.1 million viewers for Super Bowl LVII between the Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles. The big game aired across FOX’s networks, including digital platforms.
In the Cowboys’ Sunday afternoon win over the Jets, Dak Prescott started the game with 13 straight completions, on the way to a 31-for-38 finish with 255 passing yards and two touchdowns.
The Cowboys were also able to get 134 yards on the ground on 44 carries. Tony Pollard had a career-high 25 carries and broke off a long run of 23 yards. Cowboys top wide receiver CeeDee Lamb led all receivers with 11 catches for 143 yards on Sunday.
Adding to the defense’s three interceptions, star edge rusher Micah Parsons had what might end up being one of his best games of the season against the Jets. He posted two sacks, three tackles for loss, a forced fumble and a recovery. The defense is up to seven takeaways and 10 sacks through two games.
More must-reads:
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!