AceShowbiz - The NFL has once again proven to be the dominant force on television during the fall season. Each of the league's broadcasting partners reported increased ratings for the recently concluded regular season compared to 2024.

With several record-breaking games and a shift in Nielsen's measurement methods, major networks like Amazon, CBS, ESPN, Fox, and NBC all experienced growth in their audience numbers year over year. Notably, Amazon, CBS, and NBC are declaring record-breaking years, while ESPN and Fox also reported substantial increases in viewership.

NBC’s Sunday Night Football continues to shine, projected to be the top primetime show on TV for the 15th consecutive year. The cross-platform average for the popular program reached approximately 23.5 million viewers on both NBC and Peacock, marking a 9 percent increase from the previous year. This season, SNF featured eight games with a cross-platform audience exceeding 25 million, the highest ever recorded, and the streaming audience on Peacock averaged 2.5 million viewers, an increase from 2.2 million in 2024.

In a remarkable showing, CBS achieved its highest NFL viewership on record, averaging 21.25 million viewers, an 11 percent rise compared to 2024. During weeks when CBS aired the late afternoon Sunday game, it averaged 25.83 million viewers, making it the top show on television for the 2025-26 season thus far.

Fox's late afternoon Sunday games followed closely behind with an average of 25.28 million viewers. Overall, the network's NFL telecasts averaged 19.63 million viewers for the full regular season, reflecting a 6 percent increase from the previous season and Fox’s best performance since 2015.

Amazon also made a significant impact with an average of 15.33 million viewers for its 15-game Thursday Night Football series, capped off by a record-breaking 21.06 million viewers on Christmas night. The Thursday Night Football viewership grew by 16 percent year over year, marking its best performance since transitioning to streaming. Additionally, Monday Night Football on ESPN and ABC saw double-digit growth, averaging nearly 16 million viewers.

It is crucial to note that Nielsen revamped its rating measurement this year, now encompassing a large data component and out-of-home viewing for the entire country, up from about 67 percent previously. This change has positively impacted live sports broadcasts, allowing for more accurate assessments of viewership.