Lions-Chiefs in NFL Kickoff Game on NBC and Peacock Is Media’s Most-Watched Show Since Super Bowl LVII, Averaging Nearly 27 Million Viewers
LIONS-CHIEFS IN NFL KICKOFF GAME ON NBC AND PEACOCK IS MEDIA’S MOST-WATCHED SHOW SINCE SUPER BOWL LVII, AVERAGING NEARLY 27 MILLION VIEWERS
Audience Peaked at More than 29 Million Viewers in Second Quarter
Led By Peacock, Lions-Chiefs is 2nd Most-Streamed NBC NFL Game Ever – Topping Three Prior Super Bowls (and Trailing Only Super Bowl LVI)
Dak Prescott and Dallas Cowboys visit Daniel Jones & New York Giants This Sunday on NBC, Peacock, Telemundo and Universo; Coverage Begins with Football Night in America at 7 p.m. ET, Followed by SNF at 8:20 p.m. ET
STAMFORD, Conn. – September 8, 2023 – The Detroit Lions’ thrilling 21-20 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs in the opening game of the NFL season last night on NBC and Peacock averaged nearly 27 million viewers – ranking as media’s most-watched show since Super Bowl LVII on FOX in February.
Lions-Chiefs registered a Total Audience Delivery (TAD) average of 26.8 million viewers across NBC, Peacock, NBC Sports Digital, and NFL Digital platforms – up 24% from last year’s opener (21.7 million for Bills-Rams) and ranking as the second-largest NFL Kickoff Game audience since Steelers-Patriots in 2015 (just behind the 26.9 million who watched Tom Brady and the defending champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeat the Dallas Cowboys on a last-second field goal in 2021).
NBC Sports’ coverage peaked at 29.1 million viewers between 9:15-9:30 p.m. ET in the second quarter, while 27.1 million were watching from 10:45-11:00 p.m. ET as Jared Goff (3 of 3 passing for 40 yards) and David Montgomery (five carries for 23 yards and touchdown) led the Lions’ game-winning scoring drive midway through the fourth quarter.
The Average Minute Audience (AMA) for last night’s live stream via Peacock, NBC Sports Digital platforms, and NFL Digital platforms, was 2.8 million viewers – the second-highest ever for an NBC NFL game, topping three Super Bowls (trailing only Super Bowl LVI in 2022) – and up 60% from last year’s NFL Kickoff Game (1.7 million).
Last night’s game (8:23 p.m.-11:24 p.m. ET) registered a national TV household rating of 12.8/35 – up 19% from last year (10.8/28). The 35 share is NBC’s largest for any regular-season game since debuting the SNF package in 2006.
Viewership figures are based upon data from Nielsen and Adobe Analytics.
TOP METERED MARKETS FOR LIONS-CHIEFS (based on 44 markets available):
1. Kansas City 45.5/81
2. Detroit 30.0/62
3. Cincinnati 18.9/44
T4. Minneapolis 16.6/43
T4. Pittsburgh 16.6/40
6. Sacramento 16.3/47
7. Baltimore 16.2/42
8. Denver 16.0/47
9. Cleveland 15.8/39
10. Nashville 15.7/40
NBC Sports’ NFL Kickoff Weekend coverage continues this Sunday, Sept. 10 with the season opener of Sunday Night Football as Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys visit Daniel Jones and the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. This matchup marks the series-high fifth time that the Cowboys and Giants have met in the opening NBC Sunday Night Football game.
Coverage begins at 7 p.m. ET with Football Night in America, with SNF kickoff at 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC, Peacock, Telemundo and Universo. Peacock Sunday Night Football Final follows all SNF games, providing analysis of each Sunday game along with highlights and interviews.
–SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL–
