NFL sees second highest TV ratings on record for regular season

The NFL closed the regular season with an average audience of 18.7 million per game across TV and digital, the league's second-highest mark since Nielsen began tracking in 1988 and just shy of the 1989 record of 19.0 million.

The 2025 figure marked a 10% rise from last season (17.5 million) and 7% from 2023, per league and Nielsen data.

Measurement changes helped widen the lens. Nielsen's newer Big Data + Panel system was used all season, and out-of-home viewing is now counted nationwide...